Stroke; a journal of cerebral circulation
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Clinical Trial
Temporal relationship between endothelin-1 concentrations and cerebral vasospasm in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Endothelin 1 (ET-1) is a potent vasoconstrictor that may play a role in cerebral vasospasm following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). However, data regarding its pathogenic role in the development of vasospasm are controversial. We planned a prospective, observational clinical study to investigate the temporal relationship between increased ET-1 production and cerebral vasospasm or other neurological sequelae after SAH. ⋯ CSF ET-1 levels were markedly elevated in patients with clinical manifestations of vasospasm (day 7) and with a poor neurological condition not related to vasospasm. However, ET-1 levels were low in clinical vasospasm patients before clinical symptoms were evident (day 4) and remained low in angiographic vasospasm patients throughout the study period. Thus, our data suggest that CSF ET-1 levels are increased in conditions of severe neuronal damage regardless whether this was due to vasospasm or to the primary hemorrhagic event. In addition, CSF ET-1 levels paralleled the neurological deterioration but were not predictive of vasospasm.
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The penumbra of ischemic stroke consists of hypoperfused, but not irreversibly damaged, tissue surrounding the ischemic core. The purpose of this study was to determine viability thresholds in the ischemic penumbra, defined as the perfusion/diffusion mismatch in hyperacute stroke, by the use of diffusion- and perfusion-weighted MRI (DWI and PWI, respectively). ⋯ The thresholds found in this study by combined DWI/PWI might aid in the selection of patients suitable for therapeutic intervention within 6 hours. However, these hypothesized thresholds need to be prospectively tested at the voxel level on a larger patient sample before they can be applied clinically.
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With many patients living long after microsurgical aneurysm clipping for subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and with the evolution of intravascular procedures as less invasive alternatives, knowledge of the long-term results of clipping is becoming important. ⋯ This study shows that the annual rate of de novo aneurysm formation is relatively high (0.89%) and that the cumulative risk becomes significant after 9 years. In consideration of the fatality rate of SAH, follow-up angiography may be indicated for patients with clipped aneurysms 9 to 10 years after surgery.
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Variation in the outcome after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is not fully explained by known prognostic factors. APOE genotype is the most important genetic determinant of susceptibility to Alzheimer's disease, and it is also shown to be associated with the outcome after traumatic brain injury. We studied the association of apolipoprotein E polymorphism with the outcome after aneurysmal SAH. ⋯ Our findings show a significant genetic association of APOE polymorphism with outcome after spontaneous aneurysmal SAH. Genetic factors thus seem to explain a part of individual differences in the recovery of SAH.
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Comparative Study
Incidence and significance of early aneurysmal rebleeding before neurosurgical or neurological management.
Rebleeding is a major cause of death and disability in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH); however, there has been no report focusing on rebleeding before hospitalization in neurosurgical or neurological institutions. The aim of this study was to clarify the incidence of prehospitalization rebleeding, its impact on the clinical course and prognosis in patients with aneurysmal SAH, and the possible factors inducing it. ⋯ Rebleeding during transfer and at the referring hospital is not rare. To improve overall outcome of aneurysmal SAH, the results obtained in this study should be made available to general practitioners and the doctors devoted to emergency medicine.