Abstract

Primary intraventricular hemorrhage (PIVH) is a special subtype of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) without a hemorrhagic parenchymal component. Different conditions may cause this uncommon hemorrhage including trauma, vascular anomalies, coagulation disorders, and others. Frequently, PIVH is associated with structural vascular anomalies such as aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, and dural fistulas. Traditionally, hypertension has been considered a predisposing factor for PIVH. A wide variety of studies have been published describing patients with PIVH; however, studies describing exclusively patients with hypertensive PIVH are lacking in the literature. For this reason, the features of PIVH secondary to hypertension are not well described. The purpose of this study is to analyze and describe the characteristics of hypertensive PIVH. A PubMed and Scopus search adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines was performed to include studies reporting patients with hypertensive PIVH. The search yielded 19 articles reporting retrospective case series. The diagnosis of hypertensive PIVH should be established in patients meeting the following criteria: (a) elevation of blood pressure is observed at admission, (b) a cerebral angiography is negative for vascular anomalies, and (c) other causes of intracranial hemorrhage are ruled out. The prognosis is poorer in patients who present with low Glasgow Coma Score (GCS), old age, hydrocephalus, or more extensive intraventricular bleeding. The results of this study show that hypertension is the most common cause of PIVH, followed by hemorrhage caused by vascular anomalies. Hypertension may be a direct cause of PIVH, but also it may be a predisposing factor for bleeding in cases of an associated vascular anomaly.

Abstract

BACKGROUND  Remote intracerebral hemorrhage (RICH) is a severe complication following chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH) drainage, and only case reports and small case series have been reported to date. The authors present an emblematic patient affected by RICH following cSDH drainage. A systematic review of the literature on diagnosis and management of patients affected by RICH following cSDH evacuation has also been performed. METHODS  A literature search according to the PRISMA statement was conducted using PubMed and Scopus databases with the following Mesh terms: [(remote) AND (intracerebral hemorrhage or cerebral hematoma or cerebral infarction or cerebellar hemorrhage or cerebellar hematoma or cerebellar infarction) AND (chronic subdural hematoma)]. RESULTS  The literature search yielded 35 results, and 25 articles met our inclusion criteria: 22 articles were case reports and 3 were case series including three to six patients. Overall, 37 patients were included in the study. Age was reported in all 37 patients, 26 males (70.3%) and 11 females (29.7%), with a male-to-female ratio of 2.4:1. The mean age at diagnosis was 64.6 years (range: 0.25-86 years). Only in 5 cases (13.5%) did the ICH occur contralaterally to the previously drained cSDH. The rapidity of drainage can lead to several types of intracranial hemorrhages, caused by a too rapid change in the cerebral blood flow (CBF) and/or tears of bridging veins. The average time interval between cSDH drainage and neurologic deterioration was 71.05 hours (range: 0-192 hours). CONCLUSIONS  RICH following cSDH represents a rare occurrence and a serious complication, associated with elevated morbidity. Careful monitoring of drain speed after cSDH evacuation surgery is recommended, and minimally invasive techniques such as twist drill craniostomy are suggested, especially for massive cSDHs.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Recovery after intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) is often slower than ischemic stroke. Despite this, ICH research often quantifies recovery using the same outcome measures obtained at the same timepoints as ischemic stroke. The primary objective of this scoping review is to map the existing literature to determine when and how outcomes are being measured in prospective studies of recovery after ICH. METHODS We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Web of Science from inception to November 2019, for prospective studies that included patients with ICH. Two investigators independently screened the studies and extracted data around timing and type of outcome assessment. RESULTS Among the 9761 manuscripts reviewed, 395 met inclusion criteria, of which 276 were observational studies and 129 were interventional studies that enrolled 66274 patients. Mortality was assessed in 93% of studies. Functional outcomes were assessed in 85% of studies. The most frequently used functional assessment tool was the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) (60%), followed by the National Institute of Health Stroke Severity Scale (22%) and Barthel Index (21%). The most frequent timepoint at which mortality was assessed was 90 days (41%), followed by 180 days (18%) and 365 days (12%), with 2% beyond 1 year. The most frequent timepoint used for assessing mRS was 90 days (62%), followed by 180 days (21%) and 365 days (17%). CONCLUSION While most prospective ICH studies report mortality and functional outcomes only at 90 days, a significant proportion do so at 1 year and beyond. Our results support the feasibility of collecting long-term outcome data to optimally assess recovery in ICH.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Vasospasm and delayed ischemic neurological deficits (DIND) are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). Several therapeutic agents have been assessed in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for their efficacy in reducing the incidence of vasospasm and improving functional outcome. The aim of this network meta-analysis is to compare all these therapeutic agents for their effect on functional outcome and other parameters following aSAH. METHODS A comprehensive search of different databases was performed to retrieve RCTs describing the effect of various therapeutic approaches on functional outcome and other parameters following aSAH. RESULTS Ninety-two articles were selected for full text review and 57 articles were selected for the final analysis. Nicardipine prolonged released implants (NPRI) was found to be the best treatment in terms of favorable outcome (OR, 8.55; 95% CrI, 1.63 to 56.71), decreasing mortality (OR, 0.08; 95% CrI, 0 to 0.82), and preventing angiographic vasospasm (OR, 0.018; 95% CrI, 0.00057 to 0.16). Cilostazol was found to be the second-best treatment in improving favorable outcomes (OR, 3.58; 95% CrI, 1.97 to 6.57) and decreasing mortality (OR, 0.41; 95% CrI, 0.12 to 1.15). Fasudil (OR, 0.16; 95% CrI, 0.03 to 0.78) was found to be the best treatment in decreasing raised vessel velocity and enoxaparin (OR, 0.25; 95% CrI, 0.057 to 1.0) in preventing DIND. CONCLUSIONS Our analysis revealed that NPRI and Cilostazol were associated with the best chances to improve favorable outcome and mortality in patients with aSAH. However, larger multicentric studies from different parts of the world are required to confirm these findings.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Blood pressure (BP) control is one of the main management strategies in acute ICH. Limited data currently exist regarding intracranial pressure (ICP) in acute ICH. The relationship between BP lowering and ICP is yet to be fully elucidated. METHODS We conducted a systematic review to investigate the effects of BP lowering on ICP in acute ICH. The study protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42019134470). RESULTS Following PRISMA guidelines, MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL were searched for studies on ICH with BP and ICP or surrogate measures. 1096 articles were identified after duplicates were removed; 18 studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (CCBs) were the most common agent used to lower BP, but had a varying effect on ICP. Other BP-lowering agents used also had a varying effect on ICP. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Further work, including large observational or randomized interventional studies, is needed to develop a better understanding of the effect of BP lowering on ICP in acute ICH, which will assist the development of more effective management strategies. TRIAL REGISTRATION The study protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42019134470) on 29/05/2019.

Abstract

PURPOSE To compare the diagnostic accuracy of convolutional neural networks (CNN) with radiologists as the reference standard in the diagnosis of intracranial hemorrhages (ICH) with non contrast computed tomography of the cerebrum (NCTC). METHODS PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for the period from 1 January 2012 to 20 July 2020; eligible studies included patients with and without ICH as the target condition undergoing NCTC, studies had deep learning algorithms based on CNNs and radiologists reports as the minimum reference standard. Pooled sensitivities, specificities and a summary receiver operating characteristics curve (SROC) were employed for meta-analysis. RESULTS 5,119 records were identified through database searching. Title-screening left 47 studies for full-text assessment and 6 studies for meta-analysis. Comparing the CNN performance to reference standards in the retrospective studies found a pooled sensitivity of 96.00% (95% CI: 93.00% to 97.00%), pooled specificity of 97.00% (95% CI: 90.00% to 99.00%) and SROC of 98.00% (95% CI: 97.00% to 99.00%), and combining retrospective and studies with external datasets found a pooled sensitivity of 95.00% (95% CI: 91.00% to 97.00%), pooled specificity of 96.00% (95% CI: 91.00% to 98.00%) and a pooled SROC of 98.00% (95% CI: 97.00% to 99.00%). CONCLUSION This review found the diagnostic performance of CNNs to be equivalent to that of radiologists for retrospective studies. Out-of-sample external validation studies pooled with retrospective studies found CNN performance to be slightly worse. There is a critical need for studies with a robust reference standard and external data-set validation.

Abstract

The frequency of clinical seizures may be as high as 16% in patients presenting with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH). Current guidelines recommend against antiepileptic drug (AED) prophylaxis, but this is based on older trials, and the effect of newer AEDs is uncertain. To study the effects of AEDs on seizure occurrence and outcome in patients presenting with sICH. We searched key databases using combinations of the following terms: Levetiracetam, prophylaxis, ICH, intracerebral hemorrhage, and intraparenchymal hemorrhage. Selected studies were reviewed for level of evidence and the overall quality of data using the GRADE criteria. A meta-analysis was performed to evaluate seizure prevention, functional outcome, and mortality in patients with seizure prophylaxis compared to no prophylaxis following sICH. Seven articles met the inclusion criteria and were graded level III studies. Administration of AEDs was not associated with reduced seizure risk (OR=1.14; 95% CI, 0.47-2.77; p=0.77). There was an association between AED prophylaxis and poor functional outcome (OR=1.65; 95% CI, 1.17-2.31; p=0.004) but not mortality (OR=1.04; 95% CI, 0.62-1.72; p=0.89). The overall quality of evidence using GRADE criteria was low. A systematic review and meta-analysis including recent studies focusing on newer AEDs supports the 2015 guidelines regarding AED use in sICH. However, there are some important caveats including a possible confounding association between AED use and higher ICH score, as well as the overall poor quality of the available data. A randomized clinical trial may be helpful.

Abstract

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Tongqiao Huoxue Decoction (TQHXT) in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS); Study Design: A total of 17 randomized controlled trials, involving 1489 AIS patients, were included for data analyses. MATERIALS AND METHODS All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of TQHXT in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke before September 2020 were retrieved from seven electronic databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Central, CNKI, CBM, Wanfang, and VIP. Data were analyzed by RevMan 5.3 software, and quality was evaluated by GRADEpro; Results: Results showed that, while TQHXT demonstrated undeniable positive effects in clinical effective rate, neurological deficit scores, activities of daily living (ADL) scores, and hemorheology (including HCT; fibrinogen; plasma viscosity and platelet adherence rate), adverse events (AE) require further study; and Conclusions: This study provides evidence that TQHXT is an effective treatment for acute ischemic stroke. However, due to the limited quality of the included studies, the above conclusion needs to be further verified by stricter randomized controlled, double-blind, large-sample, high-quality trials.

Abstract

Background: Intracranial hemorrhage is a severe and possibly fatal consequence of anticoagulation therapy. Idarucizumab is used in dabigatran-treated patients suffering from intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) to reverse the anticoagulant effect of dabigatran. Systematic review of real-life mortality in these patients is missing. Objectives: A review of all published dabigatran-related ICH cases treated with idarucizumab was performed. We aimed to estimate in-hospital mortality rate in these patients. Method: We searched PubMed and Scopus for all published cases of ICH in idarucizumab/dabigatran-treated patients until May 15, 2021. The assessed outcome was in-hospital mortality. Results: We identified six eligible studies (case series) with 386 patients and 54 single case reports. In-hospital mortality rate was 11.4% in the case series and 9.7% in the case reports. Conclusions: Our analysis provides clinically relevant quantitative data regarding in-hospital mortality in idarucizumab/dabigatran-treated patients with ICH, which is estimated to be 9.7-11.4%.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES To assess whether dual-energy computed tomography (DECT), using conventional computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging as a reference standard, is sufficiently accurate to differentiate intracerebral hemorrhage from contrast extravasation after endovascular thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke. METHODS On January 20, 2021, we searched the PubMed Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases. QUADAS-2 was used to assess the risk of bias and applicability. Meta-analyses were performed using a bivariate random-effects model. To explore sources of heterogeneity, meta-regression analyses were performed. Deeks' funnel plot asymmetry test was used to assess publication bias. RESULTS A total of 7 studies (269 patients, 269 focal areas) were included. The pooled mean sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of DECT in identifying intracerebral hemorrhage from contrast extravasation after mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke were 0.77 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.29 to 0.96), 1 (95% CI 0.86 to 1), and 0.99 (95% CI 0.98 to 1), respectively. This evidence was of moderate certainty due to the risk of bias. Higgin's I-squared for study heterogeneity was observed for the pooled sensitivity (I(2) = 78.88%) and pooled specificity (I(2) = 82.12%). Moreover, Deeks' funnel plot asymmetry test revealed no publication bias (p = 0.38). CONCLUSION DECT shows excellent accuracy and specificity in differentiating intracerebral hemorrhage from contrast extravasation after endovascular thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke. Nevertheless, there was substantial and moderate heterogeneity among the studies. Future large-scale, prospective cohort studies are warranted to validate our findings. KEY POINTS • Dual-energy computed tomography shows excellent accuracy and specificity in differentiating intracerebral hemorrhage from contrast extravasation after endovascular thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke. • Via meta-regression analysis, we found various possible covariates, including the publication date, image analysis, index test time, time of follow-up imaging, and reference standard judgment, that had an important effect on the heterogeneity. • There were no concerns regarding applicability in any of the included studies.