Project description:Hemichorea-hemiballism can be the solely presentation of a wide range of non-neurological clinical pictures, such as metabolic or hydro-electrolyte derange-ments. Hemichorea-hemiballism as the first presentation of type 2 diabetes mellitus has been described. The case depicted herein reinforces this association highlighting that especially in elder patients with new-ly diagnosed hemichorea-hemiballism, non-ketotic hyperglycemia should promptly be recognized.
Project description:ObjectiveHyperglycemia may cause acute central nervous system dysfunction manifesting as agonizing involuntary movements due to insult to the basal ganglia. We report a case of hemichorea-hemiballism (HCHB) in a patient with diabetes.MethodClinical assessment of the patient was performed, along with laboratory tests and brain imaging.ResultsThe patient was a 50-year-old man with newly detected diabetes with persistent involuntary movement of the right upper and lower limbs for few weeks. The involuntary movement was nonrhythmic, nonpatterned, purposeless, and often jerky with variable amplitude and frequency, sometimes wild and flailing in the form of hemichorea with a ballistic component (HCHB). He had a history of poor compliance to prescribed oral antidiabetic drugs. At presentation, although he was hemodynamically stable, random capillary blood glucose level was 18 mmol/L and glycated hemoglobin A1 level was 15.1% (141.5 mmol/mol). Clinical examination did not reveal any focal deficit or positive Babinski sign. There was a hyperintensity in the left basal ganglia region in T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, which was iso-to-hyperintense in T2-weighted image and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequence. There was no restriction of diffusion on the diffusion-weighted image or blooming on gradient echo sequences, indicating absence of infarction or hemorrhage. Control of hyperglycemia resulted in disappearance of the involuntary movement within 1 month.ConclusionWhile there are many differential diagnoses for HCHB, the clinical scenario suggests hyperglycemia as the underlying cause in this patient. This case reiterates that multiple central nervous system manifestations may be attributable to diabetes.
Project description:Ipsilateral hemiballismus refers to the rare occurrence of hemiballism developing on the same side of a brain lesion.We describe a rare case of postoperative ipsilateral hemiballism in a patient who underwent pituitary adenoma resection and experienced a right internal cerebral artery territory infarct. We review the literature on hemichorea hemiballismus (HCHB) and explore various mechanisms for its occurrence.Only three cases of ipsilateral hemiballism have been described, and the exact pathophysiology remains unknown. A dominant left hemisphere with corpus callosal connections to the right basal ganglia is the most probable explanation for this unusual event.
Project description:ObjectiveTransient ischemic attacks (TIA) are common. Though systemic inflammation and thrombosis are associated with TIA, further study may provide insight into TIA pathophysiology and possibly lead to the development of treatments specifically targeted to TIA. We sought to determine whether gene expression profiles in blood could better characterize the proinflammatory and procoagulant states in TIA patients.MethodsRNA expression in blood of TIA patients (n = 26) was compared to vascular risk factor control subjects without symptomatic cardiovascular disease (n = 26) using Affymetrix U133 Plus 2.0 microarrays. Differentially expressed genes in TIA were identified by analysis of covariance and evaluated with cross-validation and functional analyses.ResultsPatients with TIA had different patterns of gene expression compared to controls. There were 480 probe sets, corresponding to 449 genes, differentially expressed between TIA and controls (false discovery rate correction for multiple comparisons, p ≤ 0.05, absolute fold change ≥1.2). These genes were associated with systemic inflammation, platelet activation, and prothrombin activation. Hierarchical cluster analysis of the identified genes suggested the presence of 2 patterns of RNA expression in patients with TIA. Prediction analysis identified a set of 34 genes that discriminated TIA from controls with 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity.ConclusionPatients with recent TIA have differences of gene expression in blood compared to controls. The 2 gene expression profiles associated with TIA suggests heterogeneous responses between subjects with TIA that may provide insight into cause, risk of stroke, and other TIA pathophysiology.
Project description:Background and aimParaneoplastic coagulopathy can present as stroke and is associated with specific biomarker changes. Identifying paraneoplastic coagulopathy can help guide secondary prevention in stroke patients, and early cancer detection might improve outcomes. However, unlike ischemic stroke, it remains unclear whether paraneoplastic coagulopathy is associated with transient ischemic attacks (TIA). This study assessed the presence of cancer-related biomarkers in TIA patients and evaluated long-term mortality rates in patients with and without active cancer.MethodsActive cancer was retrospectively identified in consecutive TIA patients treated at a comprehensive stroke center between 2015 and 2019. An association between the presence of cancer and cancer-related biomarkers was assessed using multivariable logistic regression. Long-term mortality after TIA was analyzed using multivariable Cox regression.ResultsAmong 1436 TIA patients, 72 had active cancer (5%), of which 17 were occult (1.2%). Cancer-related TIA was associated with male gender (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.29, 95% CI 1.12-4.68), history of smoking (aOR 2.77, 95% CI 1.34-5.7), elevated D-dimer (aOR 1.77, 95% CI 1.26-2.49), lactate dehydrogenase (aOR 1.003, 95% CI 1.00-1.005), lower leukocyte count (aOR 1.20, 95% CI 1.04-1.38), and lower hemoglobin (aOR 1.02, 95% CI 1.00-1.04). Long-term mortality was associated with both active cancer (adjusted hazard ratios [aHR] 2.47, 95% CI 1.58-3.88) and occult cancer (aHR 3.08, 95% CI 1.30-7.32).ConclusionCancer-related TIA is not uncommon. Biomarkers known to be associated with cancer-related stroke also seem to be present in TIA patients. Early identification would enable targeted treatment strategies and could improve outcomes in this patient population.
Project description:Limb-shaking transient ischemic attacks (TIA) may occur in patients with insufficient brain perfusion due to an underlying occlusive disease. We present the case of a 64-year-old patient who suffered from repetitive TIA presenting with shaking movements of the right-sided extremities and accompanying speech arrest. Symptoms are documented in the online supplementary video (www.karger.com/doi/10.1159/000327683). These episodes were frequently triggered in orthostatic situations. The diagnosis of limb-shaking TIA was established. The diagnostic workup revealed pseudo-occlusion of the left internal carotid artery, a poor intracranial collateral status and, as a consequence, an exhausted vasomotor reserve capacity. At ultrasound examination, symptoms were provoked by a change of the patient's position from supine to sitting. During evolvement of symptoms, a dramatic decrease of flow velocities in the left middle cerebral artery was observed. This case thus documents the magnitude and dynamics of perfusion failure in a rare manifestation of cerebral ischemic disease.
Project description:ObjectivesTo investigate the prevalence, knowledge, and treatment of TIA in a Chinese adult population.MethodsWe conducted a complex, multistage, probability sampling-designed, cross-sectional, nationwide survey of 98,658 Chinese adults in 2010. Possible TIA cases were first identified by symptoms recall or self-reported history of TIA through face-to-face interviews, and the final diagnosis was then made by expert neurologists through phone interviews or record review.ResultsThe age-standardized prevalence of TIA was 2.27%. Clinically, only 16.0% of the participants were diagnosed before the study. The prevalence of TIA was higher in women and in patients who were older, had less education, were current smokers, lived in rural or undeveloped areas, and had a history of stroke, hypertension, myocardial infarction, dyslipidemia, or diabetes. Based on the survey responses, approximately 3.08% of Chinese adults had knowledge of TIA. Among patients with TIA, only 5.02% received treatment and 4.07% received guideline-recommended therapy.ConclusionsTIA is prevalent and an estimated 23.9 million people in China may have experienced a TIA. Public knowledge on TIA is very limited. TIA appears to be largely undiagnosed and untreated in China. There is an urgent need to develop strategies to improve the identification and appropriate management of TIA.