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Query: UMLS:C0018799 (heart disease)
 34,133 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Atherosclerotic plaques in the aortic arch are a potential source of cerebral emboli in patients with cryptogenic stroke (Amarenco et al., 1994). We report on seven patients with cerebral infarction, who had atherosclerotic plaques in the aortic arch, diagnosed by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Cardiovascular risk factors as hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia or cigarette smoking were found in all cases. Carotid disease was present in four patients, one patient had atrial fibrillation with left atrial spontaneous echo contrast, which might have been an additional potential embolic source. Intraluminal protrusion of the plaques ranged from five to twenty-four millimeters. In conclusion, even in patients with carotid or heart disease, the aortic arch may be an important source of cerebral emboli. In cases with mobile and pedunculated protruding atheromas anticoagulation should be considered.
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PMID:[The aortic arch as an embolism source for cerebral infarcts]. 899 75

The consensus on antithrombotic prophylaxis of vascular incidents in patients with manifest atherosclerotic vasculopathy was preceded by a systematic classification of results from relevant articles according to 'evidential value': from randomized prospective trials of sufficient quality and size, via less adequate or non-randomized trials to the current opinion in the Netherlands. The principal advice was to prescribe antithrombotic prophylaxis, mostly acetylsalicylic acid, for patients with manifest atherosclerotic vasculopathy (in head, heart and (or) legs). With regard to the question what drug should be preferred for patients with intermittent claudication, no consensus could be reached for lack of adequate research. Acetylsalicylic acid is not more effective in higher than in lower doses, but in higher doses it has more side effects; therefore lower doses are preferred: 80-100 mg per day, and for neurological indications, 30 mg or more per day. Use of coumarin derivates is only to be preferred in patients with atrial fibrillation who have suffered a TIA or a non-crippling cerebral infarction, in patients with atrial fibrillation and a cardiac disorder such as large myocardial infarction or a left ventricular aneurysm, and in patients who have undergone a cardiac valve operation. Since the proportion of pros and cons of antithrombotic prophylaxis may change during a patient's life, the indication should be reconsidered periodically.
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PMID:[Consensus antithrombotic prophylaxis of vascular incidents in patients with manifest atherosclerotic vascular diseases. Central Guidance Organization for Peer Review]. 1077 23

This paper describes abnormal brain perfusion unexpectedly demonstrated by Tc-99m MAA total-body imaging in two children with intracardiac right-to-left shunt (RLS) associated with complex congenital heart disease. One child was a 12-year-old girl with asplenia cardiac syndrome and multiple cerebral infarctions caused by thromboembolism in the internal carotid artery, and the other child was a 6-month-old boy who developed focal cerebral infarction following shunt operation. In both children, the total-body imaging depicted the brain due to RLS, where radioactivity decreased unilaterally in the cerebral hemisphere. In the first patient, radioactivity also decreased in the contralateral cerebellum, suggesting the crossed cerebellar diaschisis phenomenon. These abnormalities in brain perfusion were confirmed by Tc-99m HMPAO brain SPECT. Careful review of the distribution of the radiotracer in the depicted brain on Tc-99m MAA total-body imaging may provide important information regarding brain perfusion in some patients with a high risk of stroke complication associated with RLS.
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PMID:Abnormal brain perfusion demonstrated by Tc-99m MAA total-body scan in two children with complex congenital heart disease. 983 93

Ten patients with refractory chronic subdural hematoma were the subjects of this paper. All patients had severe diseases influencing the clinical course of chronic subdural hematoma, such as cerebral infarction, liver cirrhosis, thrombocytopenia, severe parkinsonism, severe heart disease, and spino-cerebellar degeneration. They were first treated in a usual manner; irrigation and drainage of the hematoma cavity. After recurrence of the hematoma, an Ommaya CSF reservoir was put into place and whenever the volume of the hematoma increased the reservoir was punctured. Postoperatively, 7 patients returned to the same conditions as they had before the onset. However, one patient died of myocardial infarction and 2 patients with parkinsonism could not maintain the condition they had before the onset of their disease, resulting in their partially dependent state. Complications were minor bleeding in one patient and an occlusion of the reservoir in another patient. By using this method reoperation was unnecessary, and the patients were able to move early in the post-operative period. This method was suitable for refractory chronic subdural hematoma with severe disease influencing its clinical course.
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PMID:[Use of Ommaya CSF reservoir for refractory chronic subdural hematoma]. 1034 46

Inflammatory mediators are implicated in the pathogenesis of ischemic injury in immature brain. The phosphodiesterase inhibitor pentoxifylline inhibits production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and platelet-activating factor. We hypothesized that pentoxifylline treatment would attenuate hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in immature rats. Seven-day-old rats (n = 79) underwent right carotid ligation, followed by hypoxia (FiO2 = 0.08). Rats received pentoxifylline immediately before and again after hypoxia (two doses, 25-150 mg/kg/dose, n = 34), or vehicle (n = 27). In separate experiments, rats received pentoxifylline treatment (40 mg/kg/dose, n = 8), or vehicle (n = 10) immediately and again 3 h after hypoxia-ischemia. Severity of injury was assessed 5 d later by visual evaluation of ipsilateral hemisphere infarction and by measurement of bilateral hemispheric cross-sectional areas. Pentoxifylline pretreatment reduced the incidence of liquefactive cerebral infarction, from 75% in controls to 10% with pentoxifylline, 40 mg/kg/dose (p<0.001, chi2 trend test). Quantification of hemispheric areas confirmed these findings. In contrast, posthypoxic-ischemic treatment with pentoxifylline resulted in only a modest reduction in cortical damage, without an overall reduction in incidence of infarction. Phosphodiesterase inhibition may be an effective strategy to use to decrease the severity of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. Pretreatment regimens could be clinically relevant in settings in which an increased risk of cerebral ischemia can be anticipated, such as in infants undergoing surgery to correct congenital heart disease.
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PMID:Pentoxifylline attenuates hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in immature rats. 1062 85

Cranial irradiation may lead to accelerated atherosclerotic changes to small or medium sized arteries, but stroke associated with pituitary irradiation is not frequent. A patient treated with Gamma Knife radio-surgery (GKRS) for a pituitary adenoma suffered a cerebral infarction with internal carotid artery occlusion 4 years after radiosurgery. The patient was a 35-year-old male presenting with a visual disturbance. Endocrinological tests were normal. MRI revealed a 4.3 by 4.3 cm diameter invasive macroadenoma of the pituitary, projecting toward the suprasellar region and with cavernous sinus involvement with encasement of both internal carotid arteries (ICAs). GKRS was performed for residual tumor after a transcranial resection. The maximum dose was 40 Gy and the dose to the right carotid artery was below 20 Gy. The delayed hemiparesis was accompanied by a right capsular lacunar infarct shown on MRI. The images also showed a marked reduction in tumor size. Total, right ICA occlusion was confirmed by Doppler ultrasound. The patient had no history or signs of heart disease or metabolic disorder which could predispose to cerebrovascular
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PMID:Cerebral infarction with ICA occlusion after Gamma Knife radiosurgery for pituitary adenoma: A case report. 1068 1

At the acute phase of cerebral infarction, two recent large studies found that the use of aspirin reduces both mortality and the risk of the recurrence of stroke. In primary prevention, aspirin nearly halves the risk of myocardial infarction but does not reduce that of stroke. Concerning the secondary prevention of atherothrombotic brain infarcts, aspirin has been the most extensively studied drug, and is efficient between 50 mg and 1.3 g. In spite of the efficacy of other antiplatelets in this indication--ticlopidine (500 mg), clopidogrel (75 mg) and dipyridamole (400 mg)--aspirin remains the most cost-effective, doses between 100 and 300 mg being the most widely used. Cardiac diseases with a high embolic risk require the use of oral anticoagulation. In nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, the choice of antithrombotic drugs depends on risk stratification: oral anticoagulants are indicated in high-risk subjects, whereas aspirin is recommended in low-risk subjects and when oral anticoagulants are contraindicated. Studies with associations of aspirin and other antiplatelets are required to increase the yield of this medication in high-risk subjects, in parallel with efforts to detect and to treat the vascular risk factors.
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PMID:[Aspirin and cerebral ischemic accidents]. 1076 4

Cerebral infarction in children may be the result of various disease processes, including emboli from intracardiac sources, paradoxical emboli from the venous system, sickle cell disease, cyanotic heart disease, vasculitis affecting the carotid or cerebral vascular system, vascular anomalies, and prothrombotic states. We present a previously healthy adolescent who presented with the acute onset of hemiparesis. Work-up revealed a dilated cardiomyopathy with a left ventricular mural thrombus as the etiology of his cerebrovascular event. Although dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) may predispose to the development of a mural thrombus and subsequent embolic events, there are no previous reports in pediatric-aged patients of the development of an embolic event as the presenting manifestation of DCM. Further investigation of the etiology of the DCM led to the diagnosis of a pheochromocytoma. Congestive heart failure and DCM as the presenting sign of pheochromocytoma has likewise not been reported in a pediatric-aged patient. We review this unlikely sequence of events, the diagnostic evaluation of such patients, and treatment options.
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PMID:Cerebrovascular event, dilated cardiomyopathy, and pheochromocytoma. 1186 37

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide with almost one-third of all cardiovascular deaths ascribed to stroke. Imaging modalities, such as CT, MRI, positron emission tomography (PET), and single photon emission CT (SPECT) provide tremendous insight into the pathophysiology of acute stroke. Computed tomography is considered the most important initial diagnostic study in patients with acute stroke, because underlying structural lesions, such as tumor, vascular malformation, or subdural hematoma, can mimic stroke clinically. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) has the ability to visualize changes in diffusion within minutes after the onset of ischemia and has become a powerful tool in the evaluation of patients with stroke syndrome. Territories with diffusion and perfusion mismatch may define tissues at risk, but with potential recovery. An alternative strategy with CT technology uses rapid CT for dynamic perfusion imaging, with similar goals in mind. Angiography can be performed in the hyperacute stage if thrombolytic therapy is being considered. Indications for diagnostic angiography include transient ischemic attacks in a carotid distribution, amaurosis fugax, prior stroke in a carotid distribution, a high-grade stenotic lesion in a carotid artery, acquiring an angiographic correlation of magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) or computed tomographic angiography (CTA) concerning stenotic findings. In 50% of all angiograms performed in the hyperacute stage, occlusion of a vessel is observed; however, the need for angiography has been made less necessary due to the improvements of MRA, duplex ultrasound, and CTA. Numerous etiologies can lead to infarction. In children, pediatric stroke is very uncommon. The most common cause is an embolus from congenital heart disease with right-to-left shunts. Also a dissection of large extracranial vessels may result in cerebral infarction, and although the brain is equipped with numerous venous drainage routes, the occlusion of a large sinus or a widespread vein obstruction will eventually lead to venous infarction. Thus, optimal stroke care requires not only early and exact identification of ischemia, but also a close collaboration between the clinician and radiologist.
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PMID:Non-traumatic neurological emergencies: imaging of cerebral ischemia. 1211 Oct 54

The authors experienced 55 cases of anesthetic management in 52 elderly surgical patients, 14 men and 38 women, aged 90 to 101 years with an average of 92.1 +/- 2.1 years for the past ten years. Surgical procedures included 38 cases of orthopedic, 14 cases of general surgical and 3 cases of ophthalmic operations. Thirteen cases out of them were emergency. General, epidural, spinal, and local anesthesia were applied in 34 cases, 18 cases, 2 cases, and one case out of these elderly patients, respectively. These general anesthesia consisted of total intravenous anesthesia with propopol, fentanyl and ketamine in 27 cases, sevoflurane with nitrous oxide in 4 cases, isoflurane with nitrous oxide or air in 2 cases, and thiopental anesthesia in one case. The elderly patients had past history of heart disease, dementia, hypertension, cerebral infarction/hemorrhage, diabetes mellitus and others. Their preoperative examinations revealed anemia, hypoproteinemia, renal hypofunction, serum electrolytes imbalance, and others. Vasopessors were given to 42% of the patients during anesthesia and surgery. Their postoperative complications included myocardial infarction, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, hypotension following anemia, transient hemiparesis, delirium and so on. Two patients developed myocardial infarction postoperatively and died thereafter. The authors suggest that appropriate anesthetic management for elderly patients aged 90 years or older requires proper preoperative evaluation, sufficient vigilance of hemodynamics with direct arterial pressure measurement, reliable preparation of medical agents, and awareness of impairment of circulatory function and others by aging.
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PMID:[Anesthetic management of elderly patients aged 90 years or older]. 1501 25


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