scholarly journals Clot Composition Analysis as a Diagnostic Tool to Gain Insight into Ischemic Stroke Etiology: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 327-342
Author(s):  
Alicia Aliena-Valero ◽  
Júlia Baixauli-Martín ◽  
Germán Torregrosa ◽  
José I. Tembl ◽  
Juan B. Salom

Mechanical thrombectomy renders the occluding clot available for analysis. Insights into thrombus composition could help establish the stroke cause. We aimed to investigate the value of clot composition analysis as a complementary diagnostic tool in determining the etiology of large vessel occlusion (LVO) ischemic strokes (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews [PROSPERO] registration # CRD42020199436). Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we ran searches on Medline (using the PubMed interface) and Web of Science for studies reporting analyses of thrombi retrieved from LVO stroke patients subjected to mechanical thrombectomy (January 1, 2006 to September 21, 2020). The PubMed search was updated weekly up to February 22, 2021. Reference lists of included studies and relevant reviews were hand-searched. From 1,714 identified studies, 134 eligible studies (97 cohort studies, 31 case reports, and six case series) were included in the qualitative synthesis. Physical, histopathological, biological, and microbiological analyses provided information about the gross appearance, mechanical properties, structure, and composition of the thrombi. There were non-unanimous associations of thrombus size, structure, and composition (mainly proportions of fibrin and blood formed elements) with the Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) etiology and underlying pathologies, and similarities between cryptogenic thrombi and those of known TOAST etiology. Individual thrombus analysis contributed to the diagnosis, mainly in atypical cases. Although cohort studies report an abundance of quantitative rates of main thrombus components, a definite clot signature for accurate diagnosis of stroke etiology is still lacking. Nevertheless, the qualitative examination of the embolus remains an invaluable tool for diagnosing individual cases, particularly regarding atypical stroke causes.

Breast Care ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan R. Harris

The purpose of this review is to define axillary web syndrome (AWS) and describe its diagnosis and management. The following databases were searched through July 2017: PubMed, EMBASE (OvidSP), Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Search terms included ‘axillary web syndrome', ‘axillary cording', and ‘lymphatic cording'. 49 articles were identified; 8 did not relate to breast cancer, and 3 were not in English. Of the remaining articles, the majority were case reports, case series, or descriptive reviews. 2 systematic reviews were located as well as 1 randomized trial, 6 prospective cohort studies, and 2 retrospective cohort studies. Although a common sequela after axillary surgery for breast cancer staging, AWS has been poorly described in the medical literature as to the underlying pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management. Interventions range from patient education and simple reassurance that the syndrome will resolve spontaneously to active physical or manual therapies to maintain upper extremity range-of-motion, especially adequate motion for undergoing radiation therapy. Oncologists, breast surgeons, family physicians, and oncology nurse practitioners that work with patients with breast cancer should educate them about this prevalent complication and inform them preoperatively about what to anticipate.


2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 558-571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kartik Bhatia ◽  
Hans Kortman ◽  
Christopher Blair ◽  
Geoffrey Parker ◽  
David Brunacci ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVEThe role of mechanical thrombectomy in pediatric acute ischemic stroke is uncertain, despite extensive evidence of benefit in adults. The existing literature consists of several recent small single-arm cohort studies, as well as multiple prior small case series and case reports. Published reports of pediatric cases have increased markedly since 2015, after the publication of the positive trials in adults. The recent AHA/ASA Scientific Statement on this issue was informed predominantly by pre-2015 case reports and identified several knowledge gaps, including how young a child may undergo thrombectomy. A repeat systematic review and meta-analysis is warranted to help guide therapeutic decisions and address gaps in knowledge.METHODSUsing PRISMA-IPD guidelines, the authors performed a systematic review of the literature from 1999 to April 2019 and individual patient data meta-analysis, with 2 independent reviewers. An additional series of 3 cases in adolescent males from one of the authors’ centers was also included. The primary outcomes were the rate of good long-term (mRS score 0–2 at final follow-up) and short-term (reduction in NIHSS score by ≥ 8 points or NIHSS score 0–1 at up to 24 hours post-thrombectomy) neurological outcomes following mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke in patients < 18 years of age. The secondary outcome was the rate of successful angiographic recanalization (mTICI score 2b/3).RESULTSThe authors’ review yielded 113 cases of mechanical thrombectomy in 110 pediatric patients. Although complete follow-up data are not available for all patients, 87 of 96 (90.6%) had good long-term neurological outcomes (mRS score 0–2), 55 of 79 (69.6%) had good short-term neurological outcomes, and 86 of 98 (87.8%) had successful angiographic recanalization (mTICI score 2b/3). Death occurred in 2 patients and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage in 1 patient. Sixteen published thrombectomy cases were identified in children < 5 years of age.CONCLUSIONSMechanical thrombectomy may be considered for acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion (ICA terminus, M1, basilar artery) in patients aged 1–18 years (Level C evidence; Class IIb recommendation). The existing evidence base is likely affected by selection and publication bias. A prospective multinational registry is recommended as the next investigative step.


2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junji Uno ◽  
Katsuharu Kameda ◽  
Ryosuke Otsuji ◽  
Nice Ren ◽  
Shintaro Nagaoka ◽  
...  

Abstract BACKGROUND It is debatable whether mechanical thrombectomy has benefits in a real-world setting outside the more rigid and selective clinical trial environment. OBJECTIVE To evaluate clinical outcomes, efficacy, and safety of mechanical thrombectomy in single-center retrospective cohort case series. METHODS We reviewed prospectively collected data from our large-vessel occlusion stroke database to identify patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy using Penumbra catheters (Penumbra, Almeida, California) as first-line devices. The primary outcomes were the modified Rankin Scale score at 90 d and recanalization rate. The secondary outcomes included the rates of hemorrhagic complications and mortality. RESULTS The entire study population included 298 patients. Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction Scale ≥2b was achieved in 86.6% of patients. Fifty-five patients (18.5%) were outside the 6 hr time window and 82 patients (27.5%) were over 80-yr old. The posterior circulation thrombectomy rate was 12.4%. At 90 d from onset, 49.3% of patients had favorable outcomes. The parenchymal hemorrhage type 2 (PH2) and subarachnoid hemorrhage rates were 2.3% and 11.7%, respectively. In multivariate analyses, cerebral blood flow/cerebral blood volume mismatch (odds ratio [OR] = 9.418; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.680-27.726; P < .0001), onset to recanalization time (OR = 0.995; 95% CI, 0.991-0.998; P = .0003), and hemorrhagic complications including PH2 and subarachnoid hemorrhage (OR = 0.186; 95% CI, 0.070-0.455; P = .0002) were associated with favorable outcomes. CONCLUSION A direct aspiration first pass technique with an adjunctive device demonstrated high recanalization rates in old Japanese patients. Our patient cohort may reflect the application of endovascular techniques in acute ischemic stroke treatment in a real-world setting.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clinton J Daniels ◽  
Zachary A. Cupler ◽  
Jordan A Gliedt ◽  
Sheryl Walters ◽  
Alec L Schielke ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundThe purpose was to identify, summarize, and rate scholarly literature that describes manipulative and manual therapy following lumbar surgery.MethodsThe review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and was registered with PROSPERO. PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, ICL, CINAHL, and PEDro were searched through July 2019. Articles were screened independently by at least two reviewers for inclusion. Articles included described the practice, utilization, and/or clinical decision making to post surgical intervention with manipulative and/or manual therapies. Data extraction consisted of principal findings, pain and function/disability, patient satisfaction, opioid/medication consumption, and adverse events. Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network critical appraisal checklists were utilized to assess study quality.ResultsLiterature search yielded 1916 articles, 348 duplicates were removed, 109 full-text articles were screened and 50 citations met inclusion criteria. There were 37 case reports/case series, 3 randomized controlled trials, 3 pilot studies, 5 systematic/scoping/narrative reviews, and 2 commentaries. ConclusionThe findings of this review may help inform practitioners who utilize manipulative and/or manual therapies regarding levels of evidence for patients with prior lumbar surgery. Following lumbar surgery, the evidence indicated inpatient neural mobilization does not improve outcomes. There is inconclusive evidence to recommend for or against most manual therapies after most surgical interventions.Trial registrationProspectively registered with PROSPERO (#CRD42020137314). Registered 24 January 2020.


Rheumatology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincenzo G Menditto ◽  
Giulia Rossetti ◽  
Diletta Olivari ◽  
Alessia Angeletti ◽  
Marco Rocchi ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective to analyze the available evidence about the use of rituximab (RTX) and other biologic agents in Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (EGPA) patients and to provide useful findings to inform the design of future, reliable clinical trials. Methods A systematic review was performed. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science and the Cochrane library databases and an extensive literature search on other biologic agents. Results 45 papers pertinent to our questions were found: 16 retrospective cohort studies, 8 case series, 3 prospective cohort studies and 18 single case reports, for a total of 368 EGPA patients. More than 80% of evaluable patients achieved complete or partial remission with a tendency towards a higher rate of complete response in pANCA positive subgroup. Conclusion Although the majority of the evaluable EGPA patients treated with RTX appears to achieve complete remission, we strongly believe that a number of sources of heterogeneity impairs a clear interpretation of results and limits their transferability in clinical practice. Differences in design, enrollment criteria, outcome definition and measurement make a comparison among data obtained from studies on RTX and other biologic agents unreliable.


Stroke ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Z Memon ◽  
Taha Nisar ◽  
Amit Singla ◽  
Anil Nanda ◽  
Gaurav Gupta ◽  
...  

Background: COVID-19 has been shown to induce a hypercoagulable state thereby increasing the risk of arterial thrombosis resulting in Large Vessel Occlusion Stroke (LVOs) Objective: We performed a systematic review of published reports to study the clinical characteristics, and outcomes of COVID-19 acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with LVO treated with mechanical thrombectomy (MT) and compared them with historical controls. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature search from December 2019 to July 2020 using multiple combinations of keywords from PubMed and Ovid databases according to the PRISMA meta-analyses and systemic reviews guidelines and then pooled data from individual case series. We included studies where COVID -19 associated LVO cases were treated with MT and their clinical outcomes were reported. We then compared these findings with the historic patient data from the five landmark randomized MT trials, the Hermes collaborators (HC). Results: An initial search generated 12 studies but after excluding case reports and multiple reports comprising of the same series of patients, a total of five reports consisting of 51 patients were analyzed. The mean age of patients was 59 years (IQR 36-75), and 40 (78 %) were men. Median NIHSS on presentation was 20 (IQR 10-29). AIS with LVO was the presenting manifestation of COVID-19 in 16 (20%) of patients. Intracranial ICA was the most common site of occlusion found in 27 (53%) of patients with multi-territory occlusion in 10 (20 %). Final recanalization TICI ≥ 2b was achieved in 33 (64%) of patients but reocclusion was noted in 7 (14 %). Modified Rankin score (mRS) 0-2 was reported in 12 (23 %) of patients with 40 % in-hospital mortality. When compared to historic data from HC, COVID -19 patients were younger (59 vs 69 years), presented with a higher median NIHSS score (20 vs 17), and had a higher prevalence of ICA terminus occlusion (53% vs 21% ). Similarly, patient outcomes were poor in the COVID -19 group with mRs 0-2 in (23 % versus 46 %) and mortality (40 % vs 15 %) compared to Hermes group. Conclusion: COVID -19 AIS patients with LVO who underwent MT were younger, had multiple territory occlusions with a propensity for ICA terminus location, and had poor angiographic and clinical outcomes as compared to historic data.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1197-1200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Sgreccia ◽  
Zoé Duchmann ◽  
Jean Philippe Desilles ◽  
Bertrand Lapergue ◽  
Julien Labreuche ◽  
...  

BackgroundFew case reports have considered the chromatic aspect of retrieved clots and the possible association with their underlying etiology.ObjectiveThe aim of our study was to analyze the frequency of the TOAST ischemic stroke typical (atrial fibrillation, dissection, atheroma) and atypical (infective endocarditis, cancer-related, valve-related thrombi) etiologies depending on the chromatic aspect of retrieved clots.MethodsA total of 255 anonymized and standardized clot photos of consecutive patients treated by mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke were included. A double-blind evaluation was performed by two senior interventional neuroradiologists, who classified the visual aspects of the clots into two main patterns: red/black or white. Main patient characteristics, distribution of underlying stroke etiologies, and outcomes were compared between the two study groups.ResultsThe inter-reader agreement for clot colors was excellent (k=0.78). Two hundred and thirty-three patients were classified as having red/black clots and 22 as having white clots. A statistically significant association (p=0.001) between atypical etiologies and white clots was observed.ConclusionsWhite clots were significantly associated with atypical etiologies in this cohort,in particular, with infectious endocarditis.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 2473011418S0016
Author(s):  
Daniel Bohl ◽  
Emily Vafek ◽  
Simon Lee ◽  
Johnny Lin ◽  
George Holmes ◽  
...  

Category: Ankle Arthritis Introduction/Purpose: Total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) is gaining popularity as an alternative to ankle arthrodesis in the setting of end-stage ankle arthritis. However, compared to hip and knee arthroplasty, there is a relative dearth of evidence to support its use. This study assesses the quality of literature surrounding modern TAA designs. Methods: A search of all peer-reviewed, English-language journals was conducted to identify publications involving TAA. The initial search identified 444 articles published during 2006-2016. Of these, 182 were excluded because they were not clinical outcomes studies, 46 because the TAA implant was no longer available, and 15 because the primary outcome of the study was not related to TAA, leaving 201 articles for analysis. Results: No Level I studies were identified. Seventeen (8%) studies were Level II, 48 (24%) Level III, 128 (64%) Level IV, and 8 (4%) Level V. One hundred forty-three studies (71%) were retrospective in nature. Stratification by study design revealed 128 (64%) case series, 33 (16%) experimental cohort studies, 19 (10%) case-control studies, 13 (6%) observational cohort studies, and 8 (4%) case reports. The number of studies published each year steadily increased from 2006 to 2016. A total of 51% of TAA research was published in only two journals: Foot and Ankle International and the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. Publications from the United States accounted for 36% of total publications. The most published implant was the Scandinavian Total Ankle Replacement (Figure 1). Conclusion: While the number of TAA studies published each year has steadily increased since 2006, the quality of this research as measured by level of evidence remains suboptimal. This analysis highlights the need for continued improvement in methodology and development of robust prospective registries to advance our knowledge of TAA as a treatment for end-stage ankle arthritis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 2140
Author(s):  
Akram A. Bokhari ◽  
Jared McDowall ◽  
Zakiyah Gaibie ◽  
Sunil Sinha ◽  
Maeyane S. Moeng ◽  
...  

The role of laparoscopic nephrectomy (LN) is well established in the operative armamentarium of renal surgery and has also extended to the resection of benign and malignant renal neoplasms. Despite growing evidence advocating conservative management of renal trauma, the role of LN in the management of renal trauma is not well defined. Thus, a systematic review was conducted to better define the role of LN in the subgroup of renal trauma patients requiring operative nephrectomy. In accordance with the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a comprehensive literature search was performed (March 2020), using the following databases: Cochrane library of systematic reviews, EMBASE, PubMed, Scopus, and web of science. Included studies were further assessed for relevance and quality using the Oxford 2010 critical appraisal skills program (CASP). A total of 620 studies were identified, non-relevant and non-English articles were excluded which resulted in 4 relevant articles being included. Due to a relative lack of data, case reports and case series were also included. The role of LN is a viable option in a select group of cases when operative intervention is already planned for advanced renal injury. The special considerations and relative contraindications to laparoscopy must be adhered to when selecting this modality in the setting of renal trauma. Future prospective studies are required to better define this relationship.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (19) ◽  
pp. 8818
Author(s):  
Roberto Sacco ◽  
Monica Diuana Calasans-Maia ◽  
Julian Woolley ◽  
Oladapo Akintola ◽  
Carlos Fernando de Almeida Barros Mourão ◽  
...  

Background: Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) is a condition affecting patients exposed to medications used to treat benign and malignant conditions of bone tissue. Many studies have highlighted that ONJ is a severe condition, which is very challenging to manage, especially in individuals with oncologic disease. The aim of this umbrella review is to analyze all available interventional and non-interventional systematic reviews published on medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) and summarize this evidence. Material and methods: A multi-database search (PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL) was performed to identify related multi-language papers published from January 2003 until June 2021. An additional manual search was also performed in systematic review registries (PROSPERO, INPLASY, JBI and OFS) to identify possible missing reviews. Data were extracted from relevant papers and analyzed according to the outcomes selected in this review. Results: The search generated 25 systematic reviews eligible for the analysis. The total number of patients included in the analysis was 80,840. Of the reviews, 64% (n = 16) were non-interventional and 36% (n = 9) were interventional. Study designs included case series 20.50% (n = 140), retrospective cohort studies 12.30% (n = 84) and case reports 12.20% (n = 83). It was unclear what study design was used for 277 studies included in the 25 systematic reviews. Conclusions: The data reviewed confirmed that the knowledge underpinning MRONJ in the last 20 years is still based on weak evidence. This umbrella review highlighted a widespread low-level quality of studies and many poorly designed reviews.


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