László Csiba

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The hematoma volume is an important determinant of outcome and a predictor of clinical deterioration in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Our goal was to evaluate alterations in the cerebral circulation, in respect to hemorrhage and edema volume changes, using transcranial Doppler (TCD).METHODS: Twenty patients with acute supratentorial ICH were examined. Brain, hematoma, and edema volumes were calculated from CT scans performed at admission and 2 weeks later. Data were compared with those obtained from bilateral TCD recordings of the middle cerebral arteries.RESULTS: During TCD examination, blood flow velocities did not change, cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) and resistance area product (RAP) decreased (P = .006, P = .002) while cerebral blood flow index (CBFI) remained constant on the affected side. Although hemorrhage volume did not correlate with RAP in the acute phase, correlation was found in the subacute phase (r = −.44, P = .04).CONCLUSIONS: TCD monitoring sensitively demonstrates the hemodynamic change caused by ICH but the severity of the changes does not correlate with the volume of the ICH in acute stage. The CPP, RAP, and CBFI values are more sensitive parameters than the absolute velocity values, therefore they contribute more to the understanding of hemodynamic changes developed after spontaneous ICH.

Silent brain infarction is a cerebral ischaemic event evident on brain imaging without any clinical symptom. Silent brain infarction is often detected in apparently healthy, elderly people and in different selected patient groups as well. Lately, several studies were carried out in order to identify the clinical conditions leading to silent brain infarction. A large number of clinical and paraclinical parameters were found to increase silent brain infarction prevalence, and the continuously growing list of risk factors revealed that the majority of them are similar to those related to stroke. Accordingly, some consider silent brain infarction the preclinical stage of clinically overt stroke. This point of view emphasizes the early recognition and management of silent brain infarction-related risk factors, and a great need for comparative studies, which could elicit the most sensitive indicators of the increased silent brain infarction risk, especially the ones that could be cost-effectively screened in the large populations as well.

According to the guidelines of the European Stroke Organization (ESO) and the American Stroke Association (ASA), acute stroke patients should be managed at stroke units that include well organized pre- and in-hospital care. In ischemic stroke the restoration of blood flow has to occur within a limited time window that is accomplished by fibrinolytic therapy. Newer generation thrombolytic agents (alteplase, pro-urokinase, reteplase, tenecteplase, desmoteplase) have shorter half-life and are more fibrin-specific. Only alteplase has Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the treatment of acute stroke (1996). The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) trial proved that alteplase was effective in all subtypes of ischemic strokes within the first 3 h. In the European cooperative acute stroke study III trial, intravenous (IV) alteplase therapy was found to be safe and effective (with some restrictions) if applied within the first 3–4.5 h. In middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion additional transcranial Doppler insonication may improve the breakdown of the blood clot. According to the ESO and ASA guidelines, intra-arterial (IA) thrombolysis is an option for recanalization within 6 h of MCA occlusion. Further trials on the IA therapy are needed, as previous studies have involved relatively small number of patients (compared to IV trials) and the optimal IA dose of alteplase has not been determined (20–30 mg is used most commonly in 2 h). Patients undergoing combined (IV + IA) thrombolysis had significantly better outcome than the placebo group or the IV therapy alone in the NINDS trial (Interventional Management of Stroke trials). If thrombolysis fails or it is contraindicated, mechanical devices [e.g., mechanical embolus removal in cerebral ischemia (MERCI)- approved in 2004] might be used to remove the occluding clot. Stenting can also be an option in case of acute internal carotid artery occlusion in the future. An intra-aortic balloon was used to increase the collateral blood flow in the Safety and Efficacy of NeuroFlo^™ Technology in Ischemic Stroke trial (results are under evaluation). Currently, there is no approved effective neuroprotective drug.

A kardiogén stroke a jövőben egyre nagyobb jelentőségűvé válik gyakorisága növekedése miatt. Ischaemiás eseményt még nem szenvedett pitvarfibrilláló beteg esetén kockázatbecslést kell végezni és annak alapján dönteni a vérlemezkegátló vagy antikoaguláns kezelésről. (A legtöbb pitvarfibrilláló esetet antikoagulálni kell.) A pitvarfibrilláció súlyos stroke-kockázati tényező, ezért pitvarfibrilláló betegeknél az antikoagulálás a primer prevenció része (kivétel: fiatal, egyéb kockázati tényezővel nem rendelkező pitvarfibrilláló személy). Hetvenöt évnél idősebb pitvarfibrilláló beteg is antikoagulálható, megfelelően ellenőrzött INR-értékek mellett. A szerzők áttekintik az egyéb szívbetegségeket is, különös tekintettel a billentyűbetegségekre és a szívinfarktusra. Akut stroke-ban az új európai útmutató nem javasolja sem a hagyományos, sem a frakcionált heparin használatát. Ischaemiás stroke-ban aszpirinkezelést alkalmazunk az első három napban, és ezt követően térünk át tartós antikoaguláns kezelésre, és csak akkor, ha embóliaforrást tudtunk igazolni, illetve a beteg együttműködése megfelelő, a vérzésveszély viszonylag kicsi (INR 2-3). Egyébként csak vérlemezkegátló kezelést alkalmazunk. Néhány különleges esetben egyes szerzők javallják a korai antikoagulálást (az újabb embolizáció veszélye extrém nagy, bal pitvari/kamrai thrombus, artériadissectio vagy sebészi beavatkozás súlyos artériastenosis mellett), más esetben pedig óvatosságra intenek (kiterjedt infarktus, nem megfelelő módon kontrollálható vérnyomás, súlyos microvascularis elváltozások). A szekunder prevenció stádiumában nincs különbség a vérlemezkegátló és az antikoaguláns kezelés hatásossága között, elsősorban vérlemezkegátló kezelés jön szóba, kivéve azokat az eseteket, amikor a szív embóliaforrás.

„Önvédelmi” orvostan kifejezés alatt azt a torz diagnosztikus és terápiás orvosi magatartást értjük, amikor az orvos az egzisztenciáját, munkáját érintő fenyegetettség miatt egyes beavatkozásokat nem mer elvégezni, másrészt „túlbiztosítja” magát és felesleges vizsgálatokat végeztet belső bizonytalansága, a beteg bizalmatlansága vagy az ellenséges társadalmi környezet miatt. A beteg és orvos közti bizalmat legsúlyosabban a lelkiismeretlen orvosok visszaélései károsítják, ezeket a média felnagyítja. Az orvos-beteg kapcsolat nem degradálható szerződéses jogviszonnyá. A fiatal orvosokat meg kell ismertetni a sikeres diagnózis személyiséget gazdagító örömével. Legyen egészséges önbizalmuk, merjék vállalni a diagnosztikus és terápiás kihívásokat. Valamennyiünknek küzdeni kell az orvosellenes társadalmi hangulat és azon okok ellen, melyek az „önvédelmi” orvostan gyakorlatát előidézték és erősítették.

The multiple sclerosis functional composite (MSFC) has been recommended by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society as a new clinical outcome measure. It is based on measurements in three clinical dimensions: leg function/ambulation (timed 25-foot walk), arm function (9 hole peg test) and cognitive function (paced auditory serial addition test). Scores on component measures are converted to standard scores (Z-scores), that reflect patient performance. This method has not yet been introduced into routine clinical practice. Since March 2000 over the five years period the MSFC calculation was applied to 17 patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (age mean: 37.4 +/- 10.8 years, duration of the disease: 5.5 +/- 4.9 years, EDSS: 2.7 +/- 1.4) seen at the neuroimmunological outpatient clinic to evaluate its usefulness and its correlation with the traditionally applied expanded disability status scale (EDSS). Thirteen patients received immunomodulatory treatment (interferon beta and glatiramer acetate), one patient received immunosuppressant therapy (azathioprine), and there was one patient, who developed secondary-progressive phase and we changed the interferon treatment to mitoxantrone. MSFC and EDSS were measured at 3., 6., 9, 12., 18 and 60 months of follow-up. The prospective study confirmed a strong correlation between EDSS and MSFC in multiple sclerosis. The MSFC was more sensitive to clinical changes than EDSS. Our results after 18 months of follow up are already published. After five years arm/hand function and leg function/ambulation were the most sensitive measures for disease progression. In contrast with the literature we did not experience correlation with cognitive changes. We demonstrated strong correlation between MSFC and EDSS after a longer period. MSFC is a simple method, suitable for follow-up of multiple sclerosis patients in everyday clinical practice.