| 1. |
- Hiltunen, S., et al.
(author)
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Long-term outcome after cerebral venous thrombosis: analysis of functional and vocational outcome, residual symptoms, and adverse events in 161 patients
- 2016
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In: Journal of Neurology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0340-5354 .- 1432-1459. ; 263:3, s. 477-484
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) affects mainly working-aged individuals. Functional recovery after CVT is generally considered good with about 3/4 of patients achieving short-term independence. However, vascular events, long-term functional outcome, and employment after CVT remain poorly investigated. We identified consecutive adult CVT patients treated at the Helsinki University Hospital (1987-2013) and invited them to a follow-up visit. Each clinical examination was combined with interview. We also recorded recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) and hemorrhagic events during follow-up and antithrombotic medication use. A modified Rankin Scale (mRS) served to assess functional outcome. Logistic regression served to identify independent factors associated with unemployment and functional recovery. Of the 195 patients identified, 21 died, 9 declined to participate, and 4 were excluded from the study. Thus, 161 patients (106 women) underwent an examination after a median of 39 months (interquartile range 14-95). VTE (one of which was CVT) occurred in 9 (6 %) patients, and severe hemorrhagic events in 10 (6 %). Functional outcome was good, with 84 % scoring 0-1 on the mRS; 42 % reported residual symptoms. Altogether, 91 (57 %) patients were employed. After adjusting for age and sex, a National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score > 2 at admission and low education level, associated with both unfavorable functional outcome and unemployment. Long-term functional outcome after CVT may appear good if measured with mRS, but patients often have residual symptoms and are frequently unable to return to their previous work.
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| 2. |
- Paciaroni, M., et al.
(author)
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Prognostic value of trans-thoracic echocardiography in patients with acute stroke and atrial fibrillation: findings from the RAF study
- 2016
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In: Journal of Neurology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0340-5354 .- 1432-1459. ; 263:2, s. 231-237
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Anticoagulant therapy is recommended for the secondary prevention of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). T he identification of patients at high risk for early recurrence, which are potential candidates to prompt anticoagulation, is crucial to justify the risk of bleeding associated with early anticoagulant treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate in patients with acute ischemic stroke and AF the association between findings at trans-thoracic echocardiography (TTE) and 90 days recurrence. In consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke and AF, TTE was performed within 7 days from hospital admission. Study outcomes were recurrent ischemic cerebrovascular events (stroke or TIA) and systemic embolism. 854 patients (mean age 76.3 +/- A 9.5 years) underwent a TTE evaluation; 63 patients (7.4 %) had at least a study outcome event. Left atrial thrombosis was present in 11 patients (1.3 %) among whom 1 had recurrent ischemic event. Left atrial enlargement was present in 548 patients (64.2 %) among whom 51 (9.3 %) had recurrent ischemic events. The recurrence rate in the 197 patients with severe left atrial enlargement was 11.7 %. On multivariate analysis, the presence of atrial enlargement (OR 2.13; 95 % CI 1.06-4.29, p = 0.033) and CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc score (OR 1.22; 95 % CI 1.04-1.45, p = 0.018, for each point increase) were correlated with ischemic recurrences. In patients with AF-associated acute stroke, left atrial enlargement is an independent marker of recurrent stroke and systemic embolism. The risk of recurrence is accounted for by severe atrial enlargement. TTE-detected left atrial thrombosis is relatively uncommon.
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| 3. |
- Tatlisumak, Turgut, et al.
(author)
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Frequency of MELAS main mutation in a phenotype-targeted young ischemic stroke patient population
- 2016
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In: Journal of Neurology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0340-5354 .- 1432-1459. ; 263:2, s. 257-262
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mitochondrial diseases, predominantly mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS), may occasionally underlie or coincide with ischemic stroke (IS) in young and middle-aged individuals. We searched for undiagnosed patients with MELAS in a target subpopulation of unselected young IS patients enrolled in the Stroke in Young Fabry Patients study (sifap1). Among the 3291 IS patients aged 18-55 years recruited to the sifap1 study at 47 centers across 14 European countries, we identified potential MELAS patients with the following phenotypic features: (a) diagnosed cardiomyopathy or (b) presence of two of the three following findings: migraine, short stature (a parts per thousand currency sign165 cm for males; a parts per thousand currency sign155 cm for females), and diabetes. Identified patients' blood samples underwent analysis of the common MELAS mutation, m.3243A > G in the MTTL1 gene of mitochondrial DNA. Clinical and cerebral MRI features of the mutation carriers were reviewed. We analyzed blood samples of 238 patients (177 with cardiomyopathy) leading to identification of four previously unrecognized MELAS main mutation carrier-patients. Their clinical and MRI characteristics were within the expectation for common IS patients except for severe hearing loss in one patient and hyperintensity of the pulvinar thalami on T1-weighted MRI in another one. Genetic testing for the m.3243A > G MELAS mutation in young patients with IS based on phenotypes suggestive of mitochondrial disease identifies previously unrecognized carriers of MELAS main mutation, but does not prove MELAS as the putative cause.
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