Journal of Stroke最新文献

In 2020, clinical experts from leading Asian-Pacific cardiology and neurology centers published an expert opinion and consensus statement on transcatheter patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure for patients in the Asian-Pacific region. Given recent evidence and new insights, an update of this expert opinion is necessary on certain topics. This focused update reviews evidence on PFO closure in elderly and migraine patients, along with the use of contrast transcranial Doppler ultrasound as a screening tool. This update reflects the consensus reached by Asian-Pacific clinical experts during the Asia-Pacific Heart-Brain Summit (October 3, 2024, Bangkok, Thailand).

The increasing detection rate of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) using advanced imaging underscores the need for alternative management strategies beyond surgical and endovascular interventions. Although these procedures have improved substantially, they still carry procedural risks, high costs, and psychological burdens related to continuous surveillance. This review aimed to suggest the potential role of pharmacological therapy in mitigating aneurysm progression and the risk of rupture. We first reviewed the key pathophysiological mechanisms-endothelial dysfunction, hemodynamic stress, inflammation, and thrombosis-contributing to UIA growth and instability. We then listed and examined a range of pharmacological agents, including antihypertensives, lipidlowering drugs, anti-inflammatory compounds, antioxidants, and novel candidates, summarizing both the preclinical and observational evidence supporting their use. While these findings are encouraging, current clinical data do not support broad, standardized treatment guidelines. Further prospective or randomized studies are required to clarify the safety, efficacy, and feasibility of using these agents in routine practice. By highlighting the rationale for pharmacological interventions and identifying key knowledge gaps, this review underscores the importance of an integrative management approach, encompassing medication, lifestyle modification, and vigilant monitoring, to better address patient needs and ultimately improve outcomes in UIA care.

Background and purpose: Antiplatelets are often used before direct oral anticoagulant (DOACs) initiation after an acute ischemic stroke related to atrial fibrillation (AF), but the evidence is weak. Here, we explored the risks and benefits of this approach.

Methods: A post-hoc analysis of ELAN (Early versus Late Initiation of Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Post-ischemic Stroke Patients with Atrial Fibrillation) trial data (NCT03148457) was conducted to compare the risk of recurrent ischemic stroke, systemic embolism, major bleeding (extracranial or intracranial hemorrhage [ICH]), and vascular death within 30 days (as a composite and as individual outcomes) in participants treated with and without antiplatelets before DOAC initiation after an AF-associated ischemic stroke. We used both logistic and cause-specific Cox proportional hazards regression in inverse probability of treatment weighted models to account for confounding. We calculated the net benefit of antiplatelet use by subtracting the weighted rate of excess bleeding events attributable to antiplatelets from the rate of excess ischemic events possibly prevented by antiplatelets.

Results: Among 2,013 participants (median age 77 years, 45.5% female), 1,090 (54.1%) used antiplatelets, and 70 (3.5%) experienced the composite outcome. Antiplatelet use was not associated with the composite outcome (inverse probability of treatment weighted odds ratio [ORweighted] 1.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.66-1.72; inverse probability of treatment weighted hazard ratio [HRweighted] 1.06, 95% CI 0.65-1.72), but showed a lower risk of ischemic stroke recurrence (ORweighted 0.58 [0.30-1.08], HRweighted 0.57 [0.30-1.10]), and a higher risk of major bleeding (ORweighted 1.76 [0.56-6.63], HRweighted 1.88 [0.56-6.39]). Its net benefit was +0.57 (95% CI -1.25 to +2.34) to +0.30 (-1.82 to +2.27) weighted events/100 person-months for ICH weights 1.5 to 3.1.

Conclusion: Following an AF-associated ischemic stroke, we found a lower risk of recurrence and no signs of net harm with antiplatelet use before DOAC initiation, despite an increased risk of bleeding.

Carotid web was described more than 50 years ago as an atypical fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) subtype with highly supporting pathological evidence as intimal FMD. In the following decades, the transition from catheter angiography or digital subtraction angiography (DSA) to non-invasive imaging techniques and the dramatic decrease in pathological procedures contributed to the gradual loss of this information. Currently, attention on the carotid web has increased due to its association with cryptogenic ischemic stroke. In fact, the underlying hypothesis is that the morphological features of the carotid web may determine a thrombogenic potential with artery-to-artery embolism. The pathology of the carotid web allowed identification of small thrombi embedded in the web pouch, and the features of thrombi endovascularly retrieved from intracranial arteries are very similar. The diagnosis of carotid web is usually made by non-invasive techniques, such as computed tomography angiography, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging, requiring the concordance of two different techniques for confirming the diagnosis. DSA is usually considered in cases of diagnostic uncertainty and when interventional treatment of ischemic stroke or carotid web is considered. Treatment options in symptomatic cases include medical therapy (single or dual antiplatelets) or interventional approach (surgery or stenting), but there are no randomized controlled trials about therapy. The main aim of this review is to present the current knowledge on carotid web, retrieving historical data and angiographic classifications of FMD, as well as to discuss the biological plausibility of the association with stroke in symptomatic cases and the need for an updated classification of FMD, together with prospective data.