Viviane Flumignan Zétola

Acidente vascular cerebral em pacientes jovens: análise de 164 casos

We retrospectively analyzed the epidemiological features of 164 out-clinic patients with a first-onset stroke between 15 and 49 years old. Ischemic stroke occurred in 141 patients, hemorrhagic stroke in 16 patients, and venous thrombosis in 7 patients. Forty-eight percent of ischemic strokes were atherothrombotic, but no etiology was found in 32% of patients with ischemic stroke. Systemic arterial hypertension was the most frequent etiology in the hemorrhagic stroke group. The most frequent risk factors were systemic arterial hypertension, smoking, hypercholesterolemia, alcoholism and diabetes mellitus. Although stroke in young adults deserves some specific etiological investigation, we found that ordinary risk factors such as hypertension, tabacco use, hypercolesteremia and diabetes were prevalent in our population. It seems that prevention campaigns should be the target of our work.

Guidelines for acute ischemic stroke treatment - Part I

Executive Committee: Charles André, Aroldo Luiz Bacellar, Daniel da Cruz Bezerra, Roberto Campos, João José Freitas de Carvalho, Gabriel Rodrigues de Freitas, Roberto de Magalhães Carneiro de Oliveira, Sebastião Eurico Melo de Souza, Soraia Ramos Cabette Fábio, Eli Faria Evaristo, Jefferson Gomes Fernandes, Maurício Friedrich, Marcia Maiumi Fukujima, Rubens José Gagliardi, Sérgio Roberto Haussen, Maria Clinete Sampaio Lacativa, Bernardo Liberato, Alexandre L. Longo, Sheila Cristina Ouriques Martins, Ayrton Roberto Massaro, Cesar Minelli, Carla Heloísa Cabral Moro, Jorge El-Kadum Noujaim, Edison Matos Nóvak, Jamary Oliveira-Filho, Octávio Marques Pontes-Neto, César Noronha Raffin, Bruno Castelo Branco Rodrigues, José Ibiapina Siqueira-Neto, Elza Dias Tosta, Raul Valiente, Leonardo Vedolim, Marcelo Gabriel Veja, Leonardo Vedolin, Fábio Iuji Yamamoto, Viviane Flumignan Zétola. Correspondence: Jamary Oliveira-Filho; Rua Reitor Miguel Calmon s/n; Instituto de Ciências da Saúde / sala 455; 40110-100 Salvador BA Brasil; E-mail: jamaryof@ufba.br Conflict of interest: There is no conflict of interest to declare. Received 18 February 2012; Received in final form 22 February 2012; Accepted 29 February 2012 Guidelines for acute ischemic stroke treatment – Part I

Neurological complications of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT): a retrospective study in a HSCT center in Brazil

We present the neurological complications evaluated in a series of 1000 patients who underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Central nervous system (CNS) neurological complications, particularly brain hemorrhages, were the most common, followed by seizures and CNS infections. An unusual neurological complication was Wernickes encephalopathy. Less frequent neurological complications were metabolic encephalopathy, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome, brain infarct and movement disorders. The most common neurological complication of the peripheral nervous system was herpes zoster radiculopathy, while peripheral neuropathies, inflammatory myopathy and myotonia were very rarely found.

Transcranial Doppler for patent foramen ovale screening: is there a good correlation with transesophageal echocardiography?

UNLABELLED Right-to-left shunt (RLS) can be identified by contrast-enhanced transcranial Doppler (cTCD) in patent foramen ovale (PFO) patients. AIM To evaluate cTCD for PFO screening comparing it to cTEE. METHOD 45 previous cTCD performed for PFO diagnosis and correlated its findings with cTEE. Patients were submitted to a cTCD standardized technique and were divided in two groups according to RLS: Group 1, patients with a positive RLS and Group 2 when RLS was negative. RESULTS 29 (65%) patients were included in group 1 and 16 (35%) in group 2. PFO confirmation by cTEE was performed in 28 (62%) patients. cTCD had a 92.85% sensitivity, 82.35% specificity, 89.65% positive predictive value and 87.5% negative predictive value when compared to cTEE for PFO diagnosis. CONCLUSION Standardized technique cTCD allows for RLS visualization in PFO patients with a good correlation with cTEE and can be used as a screening test before cTEE.

Brazilian Guidelines for transcranial doppler in children and adolescents with sickle cell disease

Background Sickle cell disease is the most common monogenic hereditary disease in Brazil. Although strokes are one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in these patients, the use of transcranial Doppler to identify children at risk is not universally used. Objective To develop Brazilian guidelines for the use of transcranial Doppler in sickle cell disease children and adolescents, so that related health policies can be expanded, and thus contribute to reduce morbidity and mortality. Methods The guidelines were formulated in a consensus meeting of experts in transcranial Doppler and sickle cell disease. The issues discussed were previously formulated and scientific articles in databases (MEDLINE, SciELO and Cochrane) were carefully analyzed. The consensus for each question was obtained by a vote of experts on the specific theme. Results Recommendations were made, including indications for the use of transcranial Doppler according to the sickle cell disease genotype and patients age; the necessary conditions to perform the exam and its periodicity depending on exam results; the criteria for the indication of blood transfusions and iron chelation therapy; the indication of hydroxyurea; and the therapeutic approach in cases of conditional transcranial Doppler. Conclusion The Brazilian guidelines on the use of transcranial doppler in sickle cell disease patients may reduce the risk of strokes, and thus reduce the morbidity and mortality and improve the quality of life of sickle cell disease patients.

Hemorrhagic stroke after naphazoline exposition: case report

Ten percent of all strokes are due to spontaneous cerebral hemorrhages. They are associated to drugs (licit and illicit) in 9.5% of all cases in young adults. This is a case report of a 44-year-old man, without previous morbidities, who presented a sudden onset headache and arterial hypertension 24 hours after use of naphazoline as nasal decongestant. Cranial tomography showed right thalamus hemorrhage. Cerebral angiography showed no aneurisms, vascular malformations or vasculitis. No other risk factors were found during investigation in this patient and the stroke was attributed to naphazoline exposition.

Clinical, neurovascular and neuropathological features in sneddon's syndrome

Sneddons syndrome (SS) is characterized by ischemic cerebrovascular episodes and livedo reticularis. It is more common in young women and can also be associated with valvulopathy, a history of spontaneous abortion, renal involvement and vascular dementia. We describe three cases of young women with this disease. The patients had repeated ischemic cerebral episodes, livedo reticularis and thrombocytopenia. CT and MRI showed strokes and cerebral atrophy. Autopsy in one of the patients revealed cerebral infarctions. Anticardiolipin antibodies were detected in two patients. Antiphospholipid antibodies may be found in some patients with ischemic cerebrovascular events and livedo reticularis. SS may thus be associated with antiphospholipid syndrome. We described three new cases of SS and discuss the pathophysiology of this disease.

DOPPLER TRANSCRANIANO NA PRÁTICA NEUROLÓGICA

Transcranial Doppler (TCD) was described in 1982 by Rune Aaslid and introduced in Brazil in 1992 by Roberto Hirsh in the University of São Paulo. Since the acquisition of TCD by Neurology Division of Hospital de Clínicas of Universidade Federal do Paraná (HC-UFPR) in 2001, the knowledge about TCD clinical utility has been increasing for diagnosis, follow-up and management of patients with cerebrovascular diseases. The objective of this study is to describe the current TCD indications and medical specialties indicators in our hospital. Although guidelines as published by the American Academy of Neurology establish values for TCD study with methods specificity and sensibility, we realize that the utility in our center depends on our efforts to show methods beneficial in various clinical settings.

Saline versus Saline with Blood as a Contrast Agent for Right-to-left Shunt Diagnosis by Transcranial Doppler: Is There a Significant Difference?

Agitated saline solution (AS) is the contrast agent (CA) of choice for the diagnosis of right‐to‐left shunt (RLS). The aim of this study was to compare AS to AS with blood (ASb) in the diagnosis and quantification of RLS by contrast‐enhanced transcranial Doppler (cTCD).

Curitiba acute ischemic stroke protocol: a university hospital and EMS initiative in a large Brazilian city

UNLABELLED Few healthcare centers in Brazil perform thrombolytic therapy for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to describe an interinstitutional protocol for the rapid identification and thrombolytic treatment of AIS patients at a public health hospital in a large Brazilian city. METHOD Emergency medical services (EMS) personnel evaluated 433 patients with possible stroke during a six-month period. After a standard checklist, patients with suspected AIS and symptoms onset of less than two hours were evaluated at our University Hospital (UH). RESULTS Sixty-five (15%) patients met the checklist criteria and had a symptom onset of less than two hours, but only 50 (11%) patients were evaluated at the UH. Among them, 35 (70%) patients had ischemic stroke, 10 (20%) had hemorrhagic stroke, and 5 (10%) had other diagnoses. Of the 35 ischemic stroke patients, 15 (43%) underwent IV thrombolysis. CONCLUSION The present study demonstrated that trained EMS workers could help to improve the rate of thrombolytic treatment in large Brazilian cities. Permanent training programs for EMS and hospital staff, with quality control and correct identification of AIS patients, should be implemented to increase appropriate thrombolytic therapy rates in Brazil.