Transverse dural arteriovenous fistula with bilateral sigmoid sinus stenosis treated with via transarterial embolization and venous stent placement: case report

BackgroundDural arteriovenous fistulas (DVAF) is a cerebrovascular disorder due to abnormal connections within meningeal arteries and cerebral veins. It is usually associated with sinus stenosis.Case PresentationWe describe a case of DAVF with bilateral sigmoid sinus stenosis successfully treated via transarterial embolization and unilateral stenting.ConclusionThe author reported a rare case of DAVF associated with with bilateral sigmoid sinus stenosis. Direct embolization with catheterization of contralateral MMA may by an alternative way to treat partial embolized DAVF, when main feeding arteries were occluded due to previous treatment. Unilateral sinus recanalization for bilateral sinus narrows could also obtain obvious benefit.

Seizure outcome in moyamoya after indirect revascularization in pediatric patients: Retrospective study and literature review

Background: Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a unique cerebrovascular disorder characterized by progressive stenosis of anterior cerebral circulation. Moyamoya is not an uncommon disease in Saudi Arabia. Although a less common symptom of the disease, the incidence of seizure in MMD ranges from 6 to 30%. Indirect revascularization through Encephaloduroarteriosynangiosis technique is one of the surgical treatment options for MMD. In our cohort, we aim to evaluate seizure outcome in pediatric patients with moyamoya. Methods: Eleven patients with seizure as primary presentation for MMD over a period of 10 years were included in the study. All patients underwent EDAS surgery. All patients underwent pre- and postoperative assessment of multiple factors contributing to seizure outcome. Patients were evaluated for surgery control clinically and radiologically. Results: About 73% of MMD patients with seizures improved after EDAS surgery (P < 0.0005). Six patients out of 11 became seizure free. Patients with bilateral involvement of disease undergoing bilateral surgery had better seizure control than those undergoing unilateral surgery (P < 0.07). Conclusion: Patients with controlled seizure before surgery are more likely to be seizure free after intervention. Seizure outcome is favorable after indirect surgical revascularization in pediatric moyamoya patients.

Cerebral Venous Thrombosis: What's New?

Thrombosis of the cerebral veins and sinuses (CVT) is a distinct cerebrovascular disorder that, unlike arterial stroke, most often affects children and young adults, especially women. In this review, we will summarize recent advances on the knowledge of patients with CVT.

Cognitive Gains of Aerobic Exercise in Patients With Ischemic Cerebrovascular Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Cognitive impairment has become an important problem in ischemic cerebrovascular disorder survivors as disease related deaths have been significantly reduced. Aerobic exercise, the most prevalent mode of physical activity, positively contributes to cognition in both healthy population and people with cognitive impairment. However, studies on its associations with cognitive gains in patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease showed mixed findings.Objective: To explore the cognitive effects of aerobic exercise on ischemic cerebrovascular disorder survivors and investigate the possible moderators on exercise benefits.Method: Randomized controlled trials investigating the effects of sole aerobic exercise on cognitive function in population with ischemic intracranial vascular disorder compared to any control group who did not receive the intervention were enrolled in this systematic review and meta-analysis. Four online database (Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science) were searched.Results: The initial search returned 1,522 citations and ultimately 11 studies were included in the systematic review. Analysis of seven studies showed the beneficial but not statistically significant impact of aerobic exercise on global cognitive function (0.13; 95% Cl −0.09 to 0.35; p = 0.25). Participants already with cognitive impairment benefited more from this intervention (0.31; 95% Cl 0.07–0.55; p = 0.01) and moderate intensity might be the optimal choice (0.34; 95% Cl −0.01 to 0.69; p = 0.06). The program duration and initiation time after stroke occurrence did not predict better cognitive outcome. Aerobic exercise was not associated with improvement of processing speed and executive function, the two subdomains of cognitive function.Conclusions: Aerobic exercise may contribute to cognitive gains in survivors of ischemic cerebrovascular disorder, especially for population already with cognitive decline. Our findings suggest that the adoption of moderate intensity aerobic exercise might improve cognition in such population.

Prevalence and Outcomes Associated with Vitamin D Deficiency among Indexed Hospitalizations with Cardiovascular Disease and Cerebrovascular Disorder—A Nationwide Study

Background: According to past studies, recovery and survival following severe vascular events such as acute myocardial infarction and stroke are negatively impacted by vitamin D deficiency. However, the national estimate on disability-related burden is unclear. We intend to evaluate the prevalence and outcomes of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) among patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cerebrovascular disorder (CeVD). Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study on the Nationwide Inpatient Sample data (2016–2017) of adult (≥18 years) hospitalizations. We identified patients with a secondary diagnosis of VDD and a primary diagnosis of CVD and CeVD using the 9th revision of the International Classification of Diseases, clinical modification code (ICD-10-CM) codes. A univariate and mixed-effect multivariable survey logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the prevalence, disability, and discharge disposition of patients with CVD and CeVD in the presence of VDD. Results: Among 58,259,589 USA hospitalizations, 3.44%, 2.15%, 0.06%, 1.28%, 11.49%, 1.71%, 0.38%, 0.23%, and 0.08% had primary admission of IHD, acute MI, angina, AFib, CHF, AIS, TIA, ICeH, and SAH, respectively and 1.82% had VDD. The prevalence of hospitalizations due to CHF (14.66% vs. 11.43%), AIS (1.87% vs. 1.71%), and TIA (0.4% vs. 0.38%) was higher among VDD patients as compared with non-VDD patients (p < 0.0001). In a regression analysis, as compare with non-VDD patients, the VDD patients were associated with higher odds of discharge to non-home facilities with an admission diagnosis of CHF (aOR 1.08, 95% CI 1.07–1.09), IHD (aOR 1.24, 95% CI 1.21–1.28), acute MI (aOR 1.23, 95% CI 1.19–1.28), AFib (aOR 1.21, 95% CI 1.16–1.27), and TIA (aOR 1.19, 95% CI 1.11–1.28). VDD was associated with higher odds of severe or extreme disability among patients hospitalized with AIS (aOR 1.1, 95% CI 1.06–1.14), ICeH (aOR 1.22, 95% CI 1.08–1.38), TIA (aOR 1.36, 95% CI 1.25–1.47), IHD (aOR 1.37, 95% CI 1.33–1.41), acute MI (aOR 1.44, 95% CI 1.38–1.49), AFib (aOR 1.10, 95% CI 1.06–1.15), and CHF (aOR 1.03, 95% CI 1.02–1.05) as compared with non-VDD. Conclusions: CVD and CeVD in the presence of VDD increase the disability and discharge to non-home facilities among USA hospitalizations. Future studies should be planned to evaluate the effect of VDD replacement for improving outcomes.

Limits and pitfalls of indirect revascularization in moyamoya disease and syndrome

Moyamoya vasculopathy is a rare chronic cerebrovascular disorder characterized by the stenosis of the terminal branches of the internal carotid arteries and the proximal tracts of anterior and middle cerebral arteries. Although surgical revascularization does not significantly change the underlying pathogenic mechanisms, it plays a pivotal role in the management of affected individuals, allowing to decrease the risk of ischemic and hemorrhagic complications. Surgical approaches may be direct (extracranial-intracranial bypass), indirect, or a combination of the two. Several indirect techniques classifiable according to the tissue (muscle, periosteum, galea, dura mater, and extracranial tissues) or vessel (artery) used as a source of blood supply are currently available. In this study, we reviewed the pertinent literature and analyzed the advantages, disadvantages, and pitfalls of the most relevant indirect revascularization techniques. We discussed the technical aspects and the therapeutical implications of each procedure, providing a current state-of-the-art overview on the limits and pitfalls of indirect revascularization in the treatment of moyamoya vasculopathy.

Informativeness of the scales for assessing cognitive functions and psychometric questionnaires for moderate cognitive impairment and vascular genesis dementia

The purpose of this study is assessing informative capability of the most frequently used scales and neuropsychological tests evaluating cognitive function for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and vascular dementia (VD). A total of 104 patients with cerebrovascular disorder including 39 male and 65 female were divided into two subgroups depending on severity of the cognitive impairment. The first group consisted of 51 patients with MCI and the second one consisted of 53 patients with VD confirmed by MMSE and MoCA-test. The obtained correlation analysis data testifies to difficulties in the interpretation of these routinely used scales not only because of the differences between investigated parameters of the patients with MCI and VD, but also because of the main goal of their creation. Most of the scales were created for patients with dementia and now their sensitivity for MCI is doubtful. The MoCA test, Clock Drawing Test (CDT) and ADAS-cog subscale are more sensitive and has greatest informative capability for patients with MCI and dementia, while MMSE is more informative mostly for patients with dementia. Neuropsychological tests DAD and NPI remain informative in varying degrees of cognitive impairment. In the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of the degree of cognitive impairment of vascular genesis, one should use not only a complex of scales and neuropsychological tests, but also methods that comprehensively reflect the vascular genesis of the process of formation of cognitive impairment.

Moyamoya vasculopathy in a young Caucasian woman with significant methamphetamine use

BackgroundMoyamoya is a rare cerebrovascular disorder seen predominantly in Asian populations. Methamphetamine use is a recognised cause of stroke in young people, but its pathophysiology is not fully understood. The incidence of moyamoya vasculopathy in methamphetamine-associated stroke is unknown due to a lack of sufficient data. We present a rare case of moyamoya syndrome in a young Caucasian woman with methamphetamine-associated stroke.CaseA 31-year-old Caucasian woman presented with progressive right arm weakness, speech disturbance and seizures on a background of escalating methamphetamine use in the 9 months prior to admission. She did not have a personal or family history of stroke. MRI revealed both embolic and watershed infarcts in bilateral frontal regions and CT angiography showed development of new lenticulostriate collateral vessels. Digital subtraction angiography confirmed steno-occlusive disease of the bilateral anterior circulations and a ‘puff of smoke’ appearance.ConclusionIn young patients who present with stroke with unclear aetiology, it is important to obtain a thorough substance use history. Moyamoya vasculopathy should be considered when evaluating the pathophysiology of stroke in young people.