A malignus daganatok és az ischaemiás stroke kapcsolata.

Összefoglaló. A malignus daganat és a stroke egy-egy betegnél gyakran kombinálódik, sokszor egyidejűleg diagnosztizálják, vagy rövid idő telik el a két kórkép felismerése között. Az együttes megjelenés hátterében elsősorban a hasonló tradicionális rizikófaktorok állhatnak: az idősebb életkor, a magas vérnyomás, a hyperlipidaemia, a cukorbetegség, az elhízás és a dohányzás. Az átfedő kockázati tényezőkön túl a daganat által okozott hiperkoaguláció artériás és vénás thrombosis kialakulásához vezethet. A hiperkoaguláció hátterének kutatása főként a thrombocyták és a szöveti faktor aktiválására és a heparanáz fokozott expressziójára fókuszált, és felvetődött a neutrophil extracelluláris csapdák szerepe is. A daganat által okozott hiperkoagulációhoz társuló cryptogen (tradicionális rizikófaktor nélküli) stroke-ban sokszor található magasabb D-dimer-szint, és a CT/MRI-képeken gyakrabban látszanak multifokális, több ér ellátási területében megjelenő ischaemiás laesiók, melyek ritkábban fordulnak elő a tradicionális rizikófaktorokkal magyarázható stroke-okban. Az előzőkön kívül a daganatok kezelésére alkalmazott kemoterápia és sugárterápia is emeli a stroke kockázatát. A malignus daganatokhoz társuló stroke-ok megelőzése érdekében további vizsgálatok szükségesek a daganat által okozott hiperkoaguláció és vascularis változások pontosabb megértéséhez. Orv Hetil. 2022; 163(1): 3–11. Summary. Cancer and stroke have long been studied individually, but their detrimental forces together have also been a strong point of focus. The occurrence of both cancer and stroke in a patient is often a reflection of their similar risk factors (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, obesity, and smoking), however, a subgroup of the cancer stroke population is believed to occur due to cancer-associated hypercoagulability. A deeper look into the cancer-associated hypercoagulable environment has indicated that thrombosis may be explained by cancer’s role in several factors, including activation of platelets and tissue factor, elevated expression of heparanase and influence on neutrophilic extracellular traps. When a cryptogenic stroke (stroke lacking the aforementioned risk factors) occurs due to the cancer-induced hypercoagulation state, patient serum D-dimer levels have been found elevated, and CT/MRI images of the brain have shown multivascular infarctions compared to stroke patients with traditional risk factors. Additionally, cancer treatment – chemotherapy and radiation – have also been found to increase the occurrence of cerebral vascular thrombosis. Further investigations are required to better understand cancer-associated vascular pathophysiologic changes and how to discern their unique strokes compared to strokes from other etiologies. With these insights, the prevalence of strokes in the cancer population could be decreased. Orv Hetil. 2022; 163(1): 3–11.

Short-term results of percutaneous closure of patent foramen ovale guided by transoesophageal echocardiography in patients with cryptogenic stroke: A retrospective study

Background: This study aimed to assess the short-term (12 months) results of PFO occlusion guided by transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and the results of regular transthoracic ultrasound foaming test (UFT). Methods: Data of 75 patients who underwent interventional therapy for PFO and CS were retrospectively analysed. The patients were grouped according to their preoperative UFT results: group A, small volume of right-to-left shunts; group B, moderate volume of right-to-left shunts; and group C, large volume of right-to-left shunts. All patients were treated with an Amplatzer occluder under TEE guidance. UFT follow-up was conducted regularly until 12 months after surgery. Results: No remarkable differences in preoperative data, length of hospital stay, or operative time were noted between the groups. Length of the PFO and diameter of the occluder differed between the groups: group A=group Bp<0.001). One patient in group C developed recurrent stroke 11 months postoperatively. Two patients in group C developed atrial arrhythmia, which improved after 3 months of antiarrhythmic treatment. However, 19 patients still had positive UFT results 12 months postoperatively. Furthermore, the positive UFT rate 12 months postoperatively differed between the groups: group A=group Bp<0.05). Conclusions: In patients with PFO and CS, interventional therapy guided by TEE could lead to satisfactory short-term (12 months) outcomes. A longer PFO and preoperative large-volume shunt were negatively associated with a negative UFT rate 12 months postoperatively. Further studies are required to clarify the relationship between positive UFT results postoperatively and stroke recurrence.

Utility of Speckle-Tracking Echocardiography For Predicting Atrial Fibrillation Following Ischemic Stroke: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis

Purpose: Undiagnosed atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the main sources of cryptogenic stroke. And strain indices measured by speckle-tracking echocardiography are associated with atrial remodeling supposed to be the substrate of AF. Therefore, there is a strong need for evaluating the utility of speckle-tracking echocardiography to predict the likelihood of AF in patients with cryptogenic stroke.Methods: PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Database were searched for studies. The random-effects model was used to calculate the pooled results, and summary receiver operating characteristic curve (SROC) analysis was performed to show the overall predictive value.Results: There were 1483 patients with cryptogenic stroke from 8 studies. Meta-analysis showed that strain indices including global longitudinal strain (GLS) (mean difference [SMD]: -0.22, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: -0.40 to -0.04) , left atrial reservoir strain (εR), (SMD: -0.87, 95% CI: -1.26 to -0.48, conduit strain (εCD) (SMD: -0.56, 95% CI: -0.81 to -0.30), contractile strain (εCT) (SMD: -1.00, 95% CI: -1.39 to -0.61), and left atrial reservoir strain rate (SRe) (SMD: -0.54, 95% CI: -0.80 to -0.28) measured at the period of cryptogenic stroke was significantly decreased in patients with AF occurrence compared to without. SROC analysis suggested an acceptable predictive efficiency of εR for AF occurrence (AUC = 0.799).Conclusion: For patients after cryptogenic stroke, GLS, εR, εCD, εCT and SRe were significantly decreased in AF occurrence compared with non-occurrence. But there was no value in left atrial reservoir strain rate (SRs) and contractile strain rate (SRa) for predicting AF.

Cryptogenic Stroke and Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source: Risk Factors and Approaches for Detection of Atrial Fibrillation

Background: Stroke is a problem worldwide because of its high mortality and disability rates. Almost 90% of strokes are ischemic, and more than half of the deaths are caused by an ischemic stroke. Most risk factors for stroke are manageable so that it can be avoided with proper prevention. Despite the success in determining the causes of stroke in recent years, selectively, the "culprit" causing stroke remains unsolved. In such cases, a diagnosis of undetermined etiology (cryptogenic stroke) or embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) is generated, resulting the prevention of a recurrent cerebrovascular occurrence impossible. Atrial fibrillation (AF) can be a cause of stroke by causing blood clots in the chambers of the heart. Purpose: The aim was to determine the optimal method of heart rate monitoring in patients with ischemic stroke, as methods and approaches for detecting AF are very diverse, but there is still no single opinion, which would be universal. Procedures: In our review, we consider epidemiology, risk factors for the stroke of undetermined etiology, as well as analytical methods for detecting heart rhythm disturbances in this category of patients. Findings: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is detected by thorough monitoring of heart rate of patients with cryptogenic stroke and ESUS can be diagnosed in up to 46% of patients. Conclusion. After AF detection, consideration should be given to prescribing anticoagulants, instead of antiplatelet agents, for the secondary prevention of stroke.

Diagnostic Yield of TEE in Patients with Cryptogenic Stroke and TIA with Normal TTE: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction: The role of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in cryptogenic stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) with normal transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) remains controversial in the absence of definite guidelines. We aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate an additional diagnostic yield and clinical impact of TEE in patients with cryptogenic stroke and TIA with normal TTE. Methods: We performed a systematic review of cohort studies on PubMed using the keywords ‘cryptogenic stroke’, cryptogenic TIA’, ‘TEE’, and ‘TTE’ with matching MeSH terms. We included studies with patients who had cryptogenic stroke or TIA and had normal TTE findings, where the study intended to obtain TEE on all patients and reported all TEE abnormalities. The studies containing patients with atrial fibrillation were excluded. All studies were evaluated for internal and external validity. Inverse variance random effects models were used to calculate the effect size, the number needed to diagnose, and the 95% confidence interval. Results: We included 15 studies with 2054 patients and found LA/LAA/aortic thrombus, valvular vegetation, PFO-ASA, valvular abnormalities, and complex aortic plaques on TEE. Of these, 37.5% (29.7%–45.1%) of patients had additional cardiac findings on TEE. Management of 13.6% (8.1%–19.1%) of patients had changed after TEE evaluation. Based on current guidelines, it should change management in 4.1% (2.1%–6.2%) of patients and could potentially change management in 30.4% (21.9%–38.9%) of patients. Sensitivity analysis was also performed with only class II studies to increase internal validity, which showed additional cardiac findings in 38.4% (28.5%–48.3%), changed management in 20.2% (8.7%–31.8%), should change management in 4.7% (1.5%–7.9%), and could potentially change management in 30.4% (17.8%–43.0%) of patients. Conclusions: The diagnostic yield of TEE to find any additional cardiac findings in patients with cryptogenic stroke or TIA is not only high, but it can also change management for certain cardiac abnormalities. TTE in cryptogenic stroke or TIA may mitigate future risks by tailoring the management of these patients.

Cryptogenic stroke. Part 2: paradoxical embolism

Cryptogenic stroke (CS) is defined as a subtype of stroke associated with a heterogeneous group of pathogenetic mechanisms that remained undetermined in the course of advanced diagnostic research. One third or fourth of the ischemic strokes is cryptogenic. Paradoxical embolism is considered the important cause of cryptogenic stroke and transient ischaemic attack (TIA) in young patients. It may occur via the following: patent foramen ovale (PFO), atrial septal defect (ASD), and pulmonary arteriovenous malformation (PAVM). When interviewing patients with suspected paradoxical embolism to obtain their health history, a practitioner should consider factors associated with Valsalva maneuvers, deep vein thrombosis/PE or predisposing conditions or situations, as well as symptoms of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (telangiectasia of the skin and mucous membranes, hemorrhagic syndrome) and pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) (shortness of breath, hemoptysis). If paradoxical embolism is suspected, it is necessary to conduct a stepwise diagnostic search, including transcranial Doppler ultrasound with bubble test, contrast-enhanced transesophageal echocardiography, and CT angiopulmonography. Diagnosis of relevant clinical conditions involves a search of atrial tachyarrhythmias, deep vein thrombosis, and thrombophilia. As the pathogenetic role of ASD and PAVMs in the development of embolic cryptogenic stroke is beyond doubt, the clinical significance of PFO should be determined taking into account several factors, including the presence of deep vein thrombosis/PE, the severity of the right-left shunt, the presence of ASD, the RoPE score, and detection of thrombophilia. The secondary prevention techniques of ischemic stroke or TIA with underlying PFO should be selected on a case-by-case basis, depending on the clinical significance of the anomaly, comorbid pathology, life expectancy of the patient: endovascular occlusion, anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy. The secondary prevention with underlying ASD and LAVM includes surgical techniques such as endovascular occlusion or open surgery followed by monitoring of their effectiveness.