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Biomedical subjects

M Oliveres

Publications and source records attributed to M Oliveres.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Ischemic stroke as first manifestation of essential thrombocythemia. Report of six cases.

BACKGROUND: Ischemic stroke as a presenting sign of essential thrombocythemia has been infrequently reported. We describe six patients in whom cerebrovascular disease was the first manifestation of this myeloproliferative disease. A positive endogenous megakaryocyte and/or erythroid colony growth from blood was a diagnostic criterion of essential thrombocythemia in patients with platelets counts lower than 600 x 10(9)/L. CASE DESCRIPTIONS: These six patients represented 0.54% of all patients with first stroke, 42.8% of all hematologic disorders associated with stroke, and 12.5% of all patients with essential thrombocythemia diagnosed from 1986 to 1992 at our institution. Eleven acute cerebrovascular accidents (6 transient ischemic attacks, 5 definitive cerebral infarcts) were registered. Mean time from ischemic stroke to diagnosis of essential thrombocythemia was 4.5 months (range, 1 to 12 months). The mean platelet count was 597 x 10(9)/L (range, 414 to 760 x 10(9)/L). Four patients had platelets counts lower than 600 x 10(9)/L. All patients had circulating erythroid progenitors, megakaryocytic progenitors, or both. CONCLUSIONS: Ischemic stroke as a presenting manifestation of essential thrombocythemia is probably underrecognized. The diagnosis of thrombocythemia should not be excluded on the basis of platelet counts lower than 600 x 10(9)/L. The availability of in vitro culture of hematopoietic progenitors from peripheral blood makes it possible to diagnose early and atypical cases.

Adult↗

[Mortality in the acute phase of cerebrovascular disease: the registry of La Alianza-Hospital Central of Barcelona].

BACKGROUND: Few studies have been performed on mortality from acute cerebrovascular disease (ACVD) during hospital admission, particularly in Spain. METHODS: A prospective clinical analysis was performed in 1,356 consecutive patients with ACVD included in the Registry of Cerebrovascular Disease of the Central La Alianza-Hospital in Barcelona (1986-1992) with the aim of analyzing the causes of mortality during the acute phase of the disease and the time of hospital survival. RESULTS: The mortality of the series was 16% (13% from cerebral infarction and 29% from cerebral hemorrhage; p < 0.0001). The causes of mortality were not neurologic in 49%, neurologic in 42% and of unknown cause in 9%. The principal causes of death were: transtentorial herniation/compression of the cerebral trunk (TH/CCT) 34%, pneumonia 14%, sepsis 14% and heart disease 11%. TH/CCT was more frequent on hemorrhage than on cerebral infarction (50% vs 27%; p < 0.001) while heart diseases were more frequent in cerebral infarction (14% vs 3%, p < 0.03). TH/CCT was the most common cause of death during the first seven days, with the pneumonia-sepsis-pulmonary thromboembolism being the most common after the third week. On the other hand, heart disease and sudden death showed homogeneous presentation with regard to frequency. CONCLUSIONS: The causes of death during the acute phase of acute cerebrovascular disease are principally non neurologic (49%) being potentially preventable with the most frequent causes of death being from pneumonia, sepsis and pulmonary thromboembolism. Mortality of these patients may be decreased on correct diagnosis and treatment.

Acute Disease↗

Headache in acute cerebrovascular disease: a prospective clinical study in 240 patients.

To evaluate the clinical features of headache in stroke, a prospective study was carried out in 240 consecutive patients with acute stroke who had intact expressive function. Headache occurred in 38%: 32% of 195 patients with ischemic stroke and 64.5% of 45 patients with hemorrhagic stroke (p < 0.0001). Headache patients were younger (mean age 62 +/- 15 vs 67 +/- 11.5 years) than non-headache patients (p < 0.01). A history of previous vascular or tension-type headache was found in 40.5% of the headache group, but in only 23.5% of the non-headache group (p < 0.01). In ischemic stroke, headache was observed in 41% of thrombotic infarcts, in 39% of cardioembolic infarcts, in 23% of lacunar infarcts and in 26% of TIA. Headache was significantly more common in thrombotic than lacunar infarcts (p < 0.05). In hemorrhagic stroke, headache was observed in all subarachnoid hemorrhages and in 58% of intraparenchymal hemorrhages. In ischemic stroke, the mean duration of the headache was 25 +/- 28 h and in hemorrhagic stroke 64.5 +/- 36.5 h (p < 0.00001). In ischemic stroke the headache was focal in 74% and mild or moderate in intensity in 74%. In hemorrhagic stroke, it was diffuse in 52% and the pain intensity was incapacitating in 70%. Headache was more common in vertebrobasilar stroke (59%), in comparison with carotid stroke (26%) or stroke of unclear vascular topography (33%) (p < 0.00001). Fifty-six and a half percent of patients with cortical stroke had headaches, as opposed to only 26.5% of patients with subcortical stroke (p < 0.005).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acute Disease↗

[An analysis of 1000 consecutive patients with acute cerebrovascular disease. The registry of cerebrovascular disease of La Alianza-Hospital Central of Barcelona].

BACKGROUND: Registries of cerebral vascular disease (CVD) are useful in the study of the natural history of acute cerebrovascular disease (ACBD). Nonetheless there are few series which analyze the different stroke subtypes (SS) of CVD. METHODS: A descriptive and comparative clinical analysis was performed of the different SS of CVD from the registry of CVD of the La Alianza-Central Hospital of Barcelona (Spain). A prospective study of 1,000 consecutive patients with ACVD admitted in the Neurology Department from 1986-1991 was carried out. The registry recommended by the Study Group of Cerebrovascular Diseases of the Sociedad Española de Neurología (SEN) were used and the stroke subtypes classified in agreement with the Glossary of Neurology of the SEN. RESULTS: The mean age of the series was of 71 +/- 13 years with 537 patients being males. The frequency of the stroke subtypes in focal cerebral ischemia (FCI) was: thrombotic infarction 26%, lacunar infarction 16.9%, essential infarction 14.8%, cardioembolic infarction 12.4%, transient ischemic attacks 9% and infarction of unusual cause 3.5%. The frequency of the SS in cerebral hemorrhage (CH) was: intraparenchymatous hemorrhage 14.1%, subarachnoid hemorrhage 2.0%, subdural hematoma 1.2% and epidural hematoma 0.1%. Mortality of the series was 16.7% predominating in CH (28%) versus FCI (14%) (p < 0.00001). This was found to be greatest in cases of intraparenchymatous hemorrhage (31%) and in the cardioembolic infarction (28%) and lowest in the lacunar infarctions (0.6%). CONCLUSIONS: The most common stroke subtypes were those of thrombotic infarctions, lacunar infarctions and intraparenchymal hemorrhages. Essential infarctions constitute 14.8% of acute cerebral vascular disease. The classification of cerebral vascular disease in its different subtypes is recommendable since this has prognostic and therapeutic implications.

Acute Disease↗

[Headache in acute cerebrovascular ischemic disease: a prospective clinical study of 195 patients].

BACKGROUND: Headache is a little known aspect in the study of acute ischemic cerebrovascular disease (AICVD). METHODS: To contribute to the knowledge of the clinical characteristics of headache in the different nosologic entities of AICVD a prospective study was performed in 195 patients consecutively studied by CT scan and/or cerebral MRI. RESULTS: There was headache in 32% of the total and in 41% of the thrombotic infarctions, 39% of the cardioembolisms, 26% of the transient ischemic attacks (TIA) and 23% of the lacunar infarcts. The mean duration was 25 +/- 28 hours. Headache was focal in 74% of the cases and of slight or moderate intensity in 74%. Headache was significantly more common in thrombotic infarctions than in lacunar ones (p < 0.05). It was more frequent when the topography is vertebrobasilar (57.5%), in comparison with carotid (21%) or undetermined (17.5%) (p < 0.0001). Headache was more common when topography was cortical (56.5%) in comparison with subcortical (26.5%) (p < 0.005). Eight per cent of the patients presented sentinel headache: 22% of the cardioembolic infarctions, 7% of the lacunars, 6.5% of the TIA and 5.5% of the thrombotic. CONCLUSIONS: Headache in acute ischemic cerebrovascular disease is not uncommon predominating in thrombotic infarctions and cardioembolisms of cortical topography and of vertebrobasilar vascular territory.

Acute Disease↗

[Pure motor hemiparesis secondary to chronic subdural hematoma with total recovery through medical treatment].

We discuss in this paper the cases of two patients with pure motor hemiparesis which were secondary to chronic subdural hematoma who evolved satisfactorily only with medical treatment. Of 1,000 consecutive patients with cerebro-vascular pathology admitted in our Neurology Department in the last 5 years, said two patients were the only ones (0.2%) in whom the lacunar syndrome "pure motor hemiparesis" was secondary to a chronic subdural hematoma. Such cases show that a subdural hematoma can manifest itself as a lacunar syndrome and that in selected cases the medical treatment of chronic subdural hematoma can yield goods results.

Aged↗

[Cerebral venous thrombosis and hereditary protein C deficiency].

Protein C together with its plasmatic cofactor protein S and antithrombin III probably represent the most important plasmatic inhibitor in coagulation. Protein C deficiency constitutes a high risk factor for venous thrombosis. Cerebral venous thrombosis is a manifestation which is scarcely referred to in protein C deficiency. The case of a 32 year old patient with protein C deficiency is presented. The patient was admitted for an endocraneal hypertension syndrome. CT and MR demonstrated multiple hemorrhagic cerebral infarctions. Arteriography confirmed vertebral venous thrombosis. Only six cases sufficiently documenting cerebral venous thrombosis due to protein C deficiency were found in the literature. In most cases coadjuvant factors exist predisposing thromboembolic disease. The present clinical case demonstrates the importance of considering protein C deficiency in the diagnosis of cerebral venous thrombosis in young adults.

Adult↗

[Cerebral infarct in a young adult, as the presenting form of myeloencephalopathic syndrome with lactic acidosis and cerebral ischemia].

We report a 26-year-old male who developed aphasia due to an ischemic cerebral infarction caused by MELAS (myoencephalophatic syndrome with lactic acidosis and cerebral ischemia). The most common causes of cerebral infarction in young patients were ruled out by laboratory investigations. The diagnosis of MELAS was suspected on the basis of past history of epilepsy, migraine and progressive sensory deafness, and increased resting blood lactic acid. Cerebral computed tomography showed bilateral caudate-putamen-pallidal calcification and nuclear magnetic resonance scan disclosed a left ischemic parietal-temporal-occipital infarction. The diagnosis was confirmed by muscular biopsy, which was characteristic of mitochondrial myopathy showing "red disarrayed" fibers in the histologic modified trichromic Gomori stain. Our patient showed that MELAS should be considered in young adults with cerebral infarction. The diagnosis should initially be suspected on a clinical basis, and confirmed by the presence of "red disarrayed" fibers with modified trichromic Gomori stain histologic muscle study.

Acidosis, Lactic↗

Predictive clinical factors of in-hospital mortality in 231 consecutive patients with cardioembolic cerebral infarction.

Cardioembolic cerebral infarction is a subtype of stroke with a high mortality. The purpose of this study was to determine predictors of in-hospital mortality in 231 consecutive patients with cardioembolic stroke by means of a multivariate analysis. Three predictive models were constructed. A first model was based on demographic, anamnestic and clinical variables collected at the bedside examination (total 8 variables). A second model was based on clinical and neuroimaging variables (total 10 variables). A third model was based on the aforementioned clinical and neuroimaging variables and the presence of early recurrent embolism (total 11 variables). Deteriorated level of consciousness, limb weakness, presence of congestive heart failure, male gender, and age appeared to be independent prognostic factors of in-hospital mortality in the predictive model based on clinical variables and in the predictive model based on clinical and neuroimaging variables. In addition to these variables, early recurrent embolization was selected in the third predictive model. In the first two models, setting a cut-off point of 0.50 for predicting vital status at hospital discharge resulted in a sensitivity of 60%, a specificity of 89% and a total correct classification of 81%. The corresponding values of the third model were 62, 89 and 81%, respectively. These data may help clinicians to establish an early prognosis of this stroke subtype more accurately as well as to allocate patients with cardioembolic stroke in clinical trials correctly.

Cerebral Infarction↗

Clinical predictors of early embolic recurrence in presumed cardioembolic stroke.

BACKGROUND: We determined clinical predictive factors of in-hospital embolic recurrence in presumed cardioembolic stroke patients by means of multivariate analysis based on clinical and neuroimaging prognostic variables assessed within 48 h of stroke onset. METHODS: Data of 347 consecutive patients with presumed cardioembolic stroke included in a prospective stroke registry were collected. Demographic characteristics, clinical events, and outcome in the recurrent and nonrecurrent embolization group were compared. The independent predictive value of each variable on the development of early embolic recurrence was analyzed in two multiple liner regression models - one based on eight demographic, anamnestic, and clinical variables and another based on 10 clinical, neuroimaging, and outcome variables. RESULTS: In-hospital recurrent embolization was diagnosed in 25 (6.9%) patients. The latency period was 12.1 days. The overall in-hospital mortality was 70.8% in the recurrent embolization group and 24.4% in the nonrecurrent embolization group (p < 0.001). Alcohol abuse, the combination of hypertension, valvular heart disease, and atrial fibrillation, nausea and vomiting, and previous cerebral infarction were predictors of recurrent embolization in the model based on clinical variables. In addition to these four variables, cardiac events were selected in the model based on clinical, neuroimaging, and outcome variables. CONCLUSIONS: A small number of clinical features that can be easily obtained on the patient's initial assessment may help clinicians to identify a subgroup of patients with cardioembolic stroke at the highest risk of developing early recurrent brain or systemic embolization.

Acute Disease↗