scholarly journals Fatal recurrent ischemic stroke caused by vertebral artery stump syndrome

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 445
Author(s):  
Akinari Yamano ◽  
Yasunobu Nakai ◽  
Kazuki Akutagawa ◽  
Haruki Igarashi ◽  
Kazuaki Tsukada ◽  
...  

Background: Vertebral artery stump syndrome (VASS) develops into recurrent posterior circulation ischemic stroke after ipsilateral vertebral artery (VA) occlusion at its origin. Case Description: The patient was a 46-year-old man with the right posterior cerebral artery occlusion. We used a recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) and then performed mechanical thrombectomy using a stent retriever. Angiography revealed left VA occlusion and stagnant flow to the left VA from the right deep cervical artery; therefore, we diagnosed VASS. Within 24 h of the rt-PA injection, the symptoms had dramatically improved, and so we avoided additional antithrombotic agents. Only 13 h later, the patient developed a basilar artery occlusion and died in spite of a repeated mechanical thrombectomy. Conclusion: Vigilance against early (and sometimes fatal) recurrent stroke induced by VASS is required.

2017 ◽  
pp. 38-43
Author(s):  
Quang Thang Tran ◽  
Dat Anh Nguyen ◽  
Van Chi Nguyen ◽  
Duy Ton Mai ◽  
Van Thinh Le

Purpose: The relationship between arterial recanalization after use of intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) and outcome is still uncertain. The aim of our study was to evaluate the association between the timing and impact of recanalization on functional outcomes in ischemic stroke patients due to acute middle cerebral artery occlusion. Subjects and methods: Nonrandomized 40 stroke patients with proximal middle arterial occlusion on a prebolus TCD receiving intravenously 0.6 mg/kg rtPA within 4.5 hours after stroke onset were monitored with portable diagnostic TCD equipment and a standard headframe. Complete recanalization was defined as thrombolysis in brain ischemia (TIBI) flow grades 4-5. Results: 40 patients (mean age 67±14 years, NIH Stroke Scale [NIHSS] 16.15±8.6 points) were treated at 180±80 minutes from symptom onset. TCD was monitored continously for 120 minutes. Complete recanalization on TCD within 2 hours after bolus was found in 13 patients (32.5%). In this group, NIHSS decreased quickly at 2 hours and 24 hours. Modified Rankins 0-1point was seen in 92.3% of patients with complete recanalization compared to 37.0% of patients with uncomplete recanalization at 90 days. Non-symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage was seen in 1 patient in the group of complete recanalization. Conclusions: Complete recanalization of middle cerebral arteries within 2 hours after IV rtPA treatment plays a role in predicting the good functional and clinical outcomes after ultrasound-enhanced thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke patients due to acute middle cerebral artery occlusion. Key words: stroke, recombinant tissue plasminogen activator, transcranial Doppler sonography


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan L. Leber ◽  
Simon Fandler-Höfler ◽  
Markus Kneihsl ◽  
Michael Augustin ◽  
Hannes Deutschmann ◽  
...  

We present the case of a middle-aged patient who had four recurrent acute basilar artery occlusions over a period of 3 months, each time successfully treated with mechanical thrombectomy. Extensive stroke work-up showed no obvious stroke etiology aside from a dysplastic right vertebral artery with multifocal stenoses. Treatment with different antiplatelet and anticoagulant regimes did not prevent basilar artery occlusion recurrence. Therefore, transarterial coil occlusion of the V4-segment of the right vertebral artery was performed as ultima ratio without complications. At final discharge, the patient had no persistent neurological deficits. No further cerebrovascular events occurred over a 12-month follow-up period.


2013 ◽  
Vol 33 (11) ◽  
pp. e1-e7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brad A Sutherland ◽  
Alastair M Buchan

Recanalization of an occluded vessel with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator is an effective strategy for treating acute ischemic stroke. Recombinant tissue plasminogen activator is administered as alteplase, a formulation containing many excipients including L-arginine, the substrate for nitric oxide production. Most studies fail to compare the effects of alteplase on brain injury to its L-arginine carrier solution. This study aimed to verify the previously reported detrimental effects of alteplase after cerebral ischemia and delineate the contribution of L-arginine. Male Wistar rats, subjected to 90 minutes of intraluminal middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), were administered alteplase, the carrier solution or saline upon reperfusion. Neither alteplase nor the carrier affected cerebral blood flow (CBF) restoration throughout the first 60 minutes of reperfusion. Alteplase treatment was associated with increased mortality after MCAO. Twenty-four hours after MCAO, neurologic function and infarct volume did not differ between rats treated with alteplase, the carrier solution, or saline. Irrespective of treatment group, infarct volume was correlated with CBF during reperfusion, neuroscore, and peri-infarct depolarizations. These results suggest that alteplase treatment, independent of thrombolysis, does not cause increased ischemic injury compared with its appropriate carrier solution, supporting the continued use of alteplase in eligible ischemic stroke patients.


2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. e33-e33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis Savastano ◽  
Joseph J Gemmete ◽  
Aditya S Pandey ◽  
Christopher Roark ◽  
Neeraj Chaudhary

Ischemic strokes in childhood are rare. Thrombolytic therapy with intravenous (IV) tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) has been the main intervention for the management of pediatric stroke patients, but safety data are lacking and efficacy has been questioned. Recently, successful endovascular treatments for acute ischemic stroke in children have been reported with increasing frequency, suggesting that mechanical thrombectomy can be a safe and effective treatment. We present the case of a 22-month-old child with acute ischemic stroke due to basilar artery occlusion that was successfully treated with a stent retriever.


2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 352-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yahia Lodi ◽  
Varun Reddy ◽  
Gorge Petro ◽  
Ashok Devasenapathy ◽  
Anas Hourani ◽  
...  

Background and purposeIn recent trials, acute ischemic stroke (AIS) from large artery occlusion (LAO) was resistant to intravenous thrombolysis and adjunctive stent retriever thrombectomy (SRT) was associated with better perfusion and outcomes. Despite benefit, 39–68% of patients had poor outcomes. Thrombectomy in AIS with LAO within 3 h is performed secondary to intravenous thrombolysis, which may be associated with delay. The purpose of our study is to evaluate the safety, feasibility, recanalization rate, and outcome of primary SRT within 3 h without intravenous thrombolysis in AIS from LAO.MethodsBased on an institutionally approved protocol, stroke patients with LAO within 3 h were offered primary SRT as an alternative to intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator. Consecutive patients who underwent primary SRT for LAO within 3 h from 2012 to 2014 were enrolled. Outcomes were measured using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS).Results18 patients with LAO of mean age 62.83±15.32 years and median NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score 16 (10–23) chose primary SRT after giving informed consent. Near complete (TICI 2b in 1 patient) or complete (TICI 3 in 17 patients) recanalization was observed in all patients. Time to recanalization from symptom onset and groin puncture was 188.5±82.7 and 64.61±40.14 min, respectively. NIHSS scores immediately after thrombectomy, at 24 h and 30 days were 4 (0–12), 1 (0–12), and 0 (0–4), respectively. Asymptomatic perfusion-related hemorrhage developed in four patients (22%). 90-day outcomes were mRS 0 in 50%, mRS 1 in 44.4%, and mRS 2 in 5.6%.ConclusionsOur study demonstrates that primary SRT in AIS from LAO is safe and feasible and is associated with complete recanalization and good outcome. Further study is required.


2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. e25-e25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Morales ◽  
Phillip Vaughan Parry ◽  
Ashutosh Jadhav ◽  
Tudor Jovin

Ischemia of the basilar artery is one of the most devastating types of arterial occlusive disease. Despite treatment of basilar artery occlusions (BAO) with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator, antiplatelet agents, intra-arterial therapy or a combination, fatality rates remain high. Aggressive recanalization with mechanical thrombectomy is therefore often necessary to preserve life. When direct access to the basilar trunk is not possible, exploration of chronically occluded vessels through collaterals with angioplasty and stenting creates access for manual aspiration. We describe the first report of retrograde vertebral artery (VA) revascularization using thyrocervical collaterals for anterograde mechanical aspiration of a BAO followed by stenting of the chronically occluded VA origin. Our novel retrograde–anterograde approach resulted in resolution of the patient's clinical stroke syndrome.


2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 889-893 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seungnam Son ◽  
Yong-Won Kim ◽  
Min Kyun Oh ◽  
Soo-Kyoung Kim ◽  
Ki-Jong Park ◽  
...  

Background and purposeTo determine the initial factors, including patient characteristics, stroke etiology and severity, time factors, and imaging findings, that could affect the clinical outcome of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) caused by basilar artery occlusion (BAO) where successful recanalization was achieved via mechanical thrombectomy.MethodsBetween March 2011 and December 2014, 35 patients with AIS caused by BAO received MRI/MR angiography-based mechanical thrombectomies, and recanalization was achieved with a Thrombolysis In Cerebral Infarction score of >2b. The patients were divided into a good outcome group (n=19), defined as those with a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 0–2 at 3 months after stroke onset, and a poor outcome group (n=16), defined as a mRS score of 3–6. The differences between the groups were analyzed.ResultsInitial National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (good vs poor: 17.9±8.9 vs 27.6±8.5, p=0.003), posterior circulation Acute Stroke Prognosis Early CT Score (pc-ASPECTS) based on initial diffusion-weighted images (DWI) (good vs poor: 7.8±1.6 vs 5.4±1.8, p=0.001), pc-ASPECTS based on contrast staining on the post-thrombectomy control CT (good vs poor: 9.2±1.5 vs 6.3±2.2, p<0.001), and presence of contrast staining in the brainstem on that CT (good vs poor: 15.8% vs 81.6%, p<0.001) were significantly different between the groups.ConclusionsPatients with AIS caused by BAO with a lower initial NIHSS score, fewer lesions on initial DWI, and less contrast staining on the post-thrombectomy control CT have higher probabilities of a good clinical outcome after successful recanalization via a mechanical thrombectomy.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Katleen Devue ◽  
Annemie Van Ingelgem ◽  
Katrien De Keukeleire ◽  
Marc De Leeuw

This paper presents the case report of an 11-year-old boy with an acute dissection with thrombosis of the left vertebral artery and thrombosis of the basilar artery. The patient was treated with acute systemic thrombolysis, followed by intra-arterial thrombolysis, without any clinical improvement, showing left hemiplegia, bilateral clonus, hyperreflexia, and impaired consciousness. MRI indicated persistent thrombosis of the arteria basilaris with edema and ischemia of the right brainstem. Heparinization for 72 hours, followed by a two-week LMWH treatment and subsequent oral warfarin therapy, resulted in a lasting improvement of the symptoms. Vertebral artery dissection after minor trauma is rare in children. While acute basilar artery occlusion as a complication is even more infrequent, it is potentially fatal, which means that prompt diagnosis and treatment are imperative. The lack of class I recommendation guidelines for children regarding treatment of vertebral artery dissection and basilar artery occlusion means that initial and follow-up management both require a multidisciplinary approach to coordinate emergency, critical care, interventional radiology, and child neurology services.


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