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Headaches related to the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) could affect performance at work in healthcare personnel. Our aim was to describe the prevalence and risk factors for headaches related to PPE, in the personnel of a specialized coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) tertiary hospital.In this cross-sectional survey study, we invited healthcare workers from COVID-19 referral center in Mexico (May 22-June 19, 2020) to answer a standardized structure questionnaire on characteristics of new-onset PPE-related headache or exacerbation of primary headache disorder. Participants were invited regardless of whether they had a current headache to avoid selection bias. This is the primary analysis of these data.Two hundred and sixty-eight subjects were analyzed, 181/268 (67.5%) women, 177/268 (66%) nurses, mean age 28 years. The prevalence of PPE-related headache was 210/268 (78.4%). Independent risk factors were occupation other than physician (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.20-2.10), age 30 years (OR 2.54, 95% CI 1.25-5.14), and female sex (OR 3.58, 95% CI 1.86-6.87). In the 6-month follow-up, 13.1% of subjects evolve to chronic headache, with stress as predictive risk factor.The frequency of PPE-associated headache is high, and a subgroup could evolve to chronic headache. More studies are necessary to improve the knowledge about this condition.

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic dramatically increased the number of patients requiring treatment in an intensive care unit or invasive mechanical ventilation worldwide. Delirium is a well-known neuropsychiatric complication of patients with acute respiratory diseases, representing the most frequent clinical expression of acute brain dysfunction in critically ill patients, especially in those undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation. Among hospitalized patients with COVID-19, delirium incidence ranges from 11% to 80%, depending on the studied population and hospital setting. Objective To determine risk factors for the development of delirium in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Methods We retrospectively studied consecutive hospitalized adult (≥18 y) patients with confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia from March 15 to July 15, 2020, in a tertiary-care hospital in Mexico City. Delirium was assessed by the attending physician or trained nurse, with either the Confusion Assessment Method for the intensive care unit or the Confusion Assessment Method brief version, according to the appropriate diagnostic tool for each hospital setting. Consultation-liaison psychiatrists and neurologists confirmed all diagnoses. We calculated adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) using a Cox proportional-hazards regression model. Results We studied 1017 (64.2% men; median age, 54 y; interquartile range 44–64), of whom 166 (16.3%) developed delirium (hyperactive in 75.3%); 78.9% of our delirium cases were detected in patients under invasive mechanical ventilation. The median of days from admission to diagnosis was 14 (interquartile range 8–21) days. Unadjusted mortality rates between delirium and no delirium groups were similar (23.3% vs. 24.1; risk ratio 0.962, 95% CI 0.70–1.33). Age (aHR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01–1.04; P = 0.006), an initial neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio ≥9 (aHR 1.81, 95% CI 1.23–2.65; P = 0.003), and requirement of invasive mechanical ventilation (aHR 3.39, 95% CI 1.47–7.84; P = 0.004) were independent risk factors for in-hospital delirium development. Conclusions Delirium is a common in-hospital complication of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia, associated with disease severity; given the extensive number of active COVID-19 cases worldwide, it is essential to detect patients who are most likely to develop delirium during hospitalization. Improving its preventive measures may reduce the risk of the long-term cognitive and functional sequelae associated with this neuropsychiatric complication.

The prompt recognition of an acute neurovascular syndrome by the patient or a bystander witnessing the event can directly influence outcome. We aimed to study the predictive value of the medical history and clinical features recognized by the patients’ bystanders to preclassify acute stroke syndromes in prehospital settings. We analyzed 369 patients: 209 (56.6%) with acute ischemic stroke (AIS), 107 (29.0%) with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and 53 (14.4%) with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). All patients had neuroimaging as diagnostic gold standard. We constructed clinical prediction rules (CPRs) with features recognized by the bystanders witnessing the stroke onset to classify the acute neurovascular syndromes before final arrival to the emergency room (ER). In all, 83.2% cases were referred from other centers, and only 16.8% (17.2% in AIS, 15% in ICH, and 18.9% in SAH) had direct ER arrival. The time to first assessment in ≤ 3 h occurred in 72.4% (73.7%, 73.8%, and 64.2%, respectively), and final ER arrival in ≤ 3 h occurred in 26.8% (32.1%, 15.9%, and 28.3%, respectively). Clinical features referred by witnesses had low positive predictive values (PPVs) for stroke type prediction. Language or speech disorder + focal motor deficit showed 63.3% PPV, and 77.0% negative predictive value (NPV) for predicting AIS. Focal motor deficit + history of hypertension had 35.9% PPV and 78.8% NPV for ICH. Headache alone had 27.9% PPV and 95.3% NPV for SAH. In multivariate analyses, seizures, focal motor deficit, and hypertension increased the probability of a time to first assessment in ≤ 3 h, while obesity was inversely associated. Final ER arrival was determined by age and a direct ER arrival without previous referrals. CPRs constructed with the witnesses’ narrative had only adequate NPVs in the prehospital classification of acute neurovascular syndromes, before neuroimaging confirmation.

mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines are effective; however, persistent vaccine hesitancy is partly due to a misperception of their potential adverse events. Non-specific sensory symptoms (NSSS) following immunization are thought to be mediated by stress-related responses. In this case-control study, we evaluated NSSS from a cohort of 7,812,845 BNT162b2 first-dose recipients, of whom 10,929 reported an adverse event following immunization (AEFI). We found an overall frequency of 3.4% (377 cases) or 4.8 cases per 100,000 doses administered. Anatomically, the arms (61%) and face/neck region (36.2%) were the most commonly affected sites. The control group had significantly higher rates of reactogenicity-associated symptoms, suggesting that NSSS are reactogenicity-independent; in multivariable analysis, healthcare workers reported sensory symptoms less frequently (aOR 0.54; 95% CI 0.40-0.72;p

Background and aim: With an ever-increasing population of patients recovering form severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), recognizing long-standing and delayed neurologic manifestations is crucial. Here, we present a patient developing posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) in the convalescence form severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).Case presentation: A 61-year-old woman with severe (COVID-19) confirmed by nasopharyngeal real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) required invasive mechanical ventilation 24-hours after admission. During her intensive care unit stay, she developed transient acute kidney injury and septic shock. She was extubated after 22 days. On day 25, she developed generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain showed bilateral subcortical lesions on the parietal and occipital lobes and multiple micro-and macro-bleeds, consistent with PRES. At this point, RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 in a respiratory specimen and cerebrospinal fluid was negative. She was discharged home 35 days after admission on oral levetiracetam. Control MRI five months after discharge showed bilateral focal gliosis. On follow-up, she remains seizure-free on levetiracetam.Conclusions: PRES has been observed before as a neurological manifestation of acute COVID-19; to our knowledge, this is the first PRES case occurring in a hospitalized patient already recovered from COVID-19. A persistent proinflammatory/prothrombotic state triggered by SARS-CoV-2 infection may lead to long-standing endothelial dysfunction, resulting in delayed PRES in patients recovering from COVID-19. With a rapid and exponential increase in survivors of acute COVID-19, clinicians should be aware of delayed (post-acute) neurological damage, including PRES.

Background: Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is associated with an increased risk of stroke and systemic embolism. Several studies have suggested that female AF patients could have a greater risk for stroke. There is scarce information about clinical characteristics and use of antithrombotic therapies in Latin American patients with nonvalvular AF. Objective: To describe the gender differences in clinical characteristics, thromboembolic risk, and antithrombotic therapy of patients with nonvalvular AF recruited in Mexico, an upper middle-income country, into the prospective national CARMEN-AF Registry. Methods: A total of 1423 consecutive patients, with at least one thromboembolic risk factor were enrolled in CARMEN-AF Registry during a three-year period (2014–2017). They were categorized according to Gender. Results: Overall, 48.6% were women, mean age 70 ± 12 years. Diabetes, smoking, alcoholism, non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease, and obstructive sleep apnea were higher in men. Most women were found with paroxysmal AF (40.6%), and most men with permanent AF (44.0%). No gender differences were found in the use of vitamin K antagonists (VKA) (30.5% in women vs. 28.0% in men). No gender differences were found in the use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) (33.8% women vs 35.4% men). Conclusions: CARMEN-AF Registry demonstrates that in Mexico, regardless of gender, a large proportion of patients remain undertreated. No gender differences were found in the use of VKA or DOAC. Keywords: Atrial fibrillation, Gender, Thromboembolic risk, Antithrombotic therapy, Stroke, Mexico

In severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-associated disease coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), hypoxemia mechanisms differ from those observed in acute respiratory distress syndrome. Hypoxemia and respiratory failure in COVID- 19 are attributed to pulmonary angiopathy, increasing physiological pulmonary shunting1-3.

A previously healthy 22-year-old woman with a history with a healthy pregnancy presented 12 weeks after an uneventful delivery with progressive dyspnea and edema. Initial blood workup was relevant for an elevated B-type natriuretic peptide in 1641 pg/mL (reference: 0-100).

BackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a systemic entity that frequently implies neurologic features at presentation and complications during the disease course. We aimed to describe the characteristics and predictors for developing in-hospital neurologic manifestations in a large cohort of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in Mexico City.MethodsWe analyzed records from consecutive adult patients hospitalized from March 15 to June 30, 2020, with moderate to severe COVID-19 confirmed by reverse transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction (rtRT-PCR) for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Neurologic syndromes were actively searched by a standardized structured questionnaire and physical examination, confirmed by neuroimaging, neurophysiology of laboratory analyses, as applicable.ResultsWe studied 1,072 cases (65% men, mean age 53.2±13 years), 71 patients had pre-existing neurologic diseases (diabetic neuropathy: 17, epilepsy: 15, history of ischemic stroke: eight, migraine: six, multiple sclerosis: one, Parkinson disease: one), and 163 (15.2%) developed a new neurologic complication. Headache (41.7%), myalgia (38.5%), dysgeusia (8%), and anosmia (7%) were the most common neurologic symptoms at hospital presentation. Delirium (13.1%), objective limb weakness (5.1%), and delayed recovery of mental status after sedation withdrawal (2.5%), were the most common new neurologic syndromes. Age, headache at presentation, preexisting neurologic disease, invasive mechanical ventilation, and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio ≥9 were independent predictors of new in-hospital neurologic complications.ConclusionsEven after excluding initial clinical features and pre-existing comorbidities, new neurologic complications in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 are frequent and can be predicted from clinical information at hospital admission.

The complications of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the clinical entity caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), are not limited to the respiratory system. Leukoencephalopathy with microbleeds is increasingly seen in patients with COVID-19. New information is needed to delineate better the clinical implications of this infectious disease.A 46-year-old man with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with severe COVID-19. After transfer to the general wards, the patient was noted drowsy, disorientated, with slow thinking and speech. A brain MRI showed bilateral symmetrical hyperintense lesions in the deep and subcortical whiter matter, involving the splenium of the corpus callosum, as well as multiple microhemorrhages implicating the splenium and subcortical white matter. No contrast-enhanced lesions were observed in brain CT or MRI. CSF analysis showed no abnormalities, including a negative rtRT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2. An outpatient follow-up visit showed near-complete clinical recovery and resolution of the hyperintense lesions on MRI, without microbleeds change.We present the case of a survivor of severe COVID-19 who presented diffuse posthypoxic leukoencephalopathy, and microbleeds masquerading as acute necrotizing encephalopathy. We postulate that this kind of cerebral vasogenic edema with microbleeds could be the consequence of hypoxia, inflammation, the prothrombotic state and medical interventions such as mechanical ventilation and anticoagulation.

BACKGROUND The recognition of stroke symptoms by patients or bystanders directly affects the outcomes of patients with acute cerebrovascular disease. OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to assess the predictive value of the medical his- tory and clinical features recognized by the patients' bystanders to classify neurovascular syndromes in pre-hospital settings. METHODS We included 150 stroke patients of two Mexican referral centers: 50 with acute ischemic stroke (AIS), 50 with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and 50 with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The performance of clinical prediction rules (CPR) to identify the stroke types was evaluated with features recognized by the patients' bystanders before hospital arrival. The impact of CPRs on early arrival and in-hospital mortality was also analyzed. RESULTS Overall, 72% of the patients had previous medical evaluations in other centers before final referral to our hospitals, and therefore, only 45% had a final onset- to-door time

Objective To determine stroke prevalence, mechanisms, and long-term outcome in a cohort of Hispanic patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods We analyzed demographical data, the timing between SLE diagnosis and stroke onset, stroke type, recurrence, and outcomes from an institutional database of 4451 patients with SLE followed from 1993 to 2018. Results We observed 139 strokes (3.1%), for an incidence rate of 1.25 per 1000 person-years: 81 (58.3%) acute ischemic stroke (AIS), 19 (13.7%) subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), 17 (12.2%) cerebral venous thrombosis, 13 (9.4%) intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and 9 (6.5%) transient ischemic attack. Median time from SLE diagnosis to acute stroke was 60 months (interquartile range 12–132 months). AIS had a bimodal presentation with 26% occurring within the first year and 30% >10 years after SLE diagnosis. In contrast, 75% of ICH cases occurred >3 years (and 34% >10 years) after SLE diagnosis. The most important cause of AIS was secondary antiphospholipid syndrome (48%). Hypertension was associated with 69% of ICH cases, while aneurysmal rupture was observed in 78% of SAH cases. Excellent recovery at hospital discharge was observed in 65%. Stroke recurrence was observed in 7%. The long-term all-cause fatality rate was 8%. Conclusions The prevalence of stroke in this cohort was 3.1%. Ischemic strokes had a bimodal presentation, occurring either early after SLE diagnosis or after a several-year delay. Half of the hemorrhagic strokes occurred >10 years after the diagnosis of SLE. Clinical outcome was usually good with a relatively low recurrence rate.

Background and Purpose: The objective of this study were to describe the proportion of patients eligible for the COMPASS trial among stable outpatients with either established atherothrombotic disease or major vascular risk factors, and to analyze 6-month incident stroke risk according vascular risk factors at baseline. Methods: We prospectively recruited 5,101 stable outpatients in 172 sites, within the Mexican INDAGA cohort study. Inclusion criteria were age >18 years and established atherothrombotic disease [history of either acute coronary syndromes (ACS), acute ischemic stroke (AIS)/transient ischemic attack (TIA) or peripheral artery disease (PAD)] or major vascular risk factors (age Results: Among 5,101 stable outpatients with either established atherothrombotic disease (n=2,827) or major vascular risk factors (n=2,274), a total of 1,927 (37.8%) met COMPASS trial criteria: 1,054 (54.7%) with established cerebrovascular disease (past history of AIS/TIA) and 873 (45.3%) without. During 6-month follow-up, there were 89 incident AIS/TIA (39 AIS and 54 TIA): 1.7% among the whole population and 2.2% among the COMPASS subgroup. AIS/TIA occurred in a similar frequency among the COMPASS subgroup with established cerebrovascular disease (1.6%) and COMPASS without cerebrovascular disease (0.9%) (P=0.18). After a Cox-proportional hazards model, independent predictors of incident AIS/TIA were age ≥65 years (HR: 1.99, 95% CI: 1.29-3.07) and established cerebrovascular disease at baseline (HR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.02-2.53). Conclusions: The majority of stable outpatients at vascular risk met COMPASS selection criteria and could be good candidates for low-dose rivaroxaban in addition to aspirin. Short-term predictors of AIS/TIA were old age and history of cerebrovascular disease

Background and purpose: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is the leading cause of adult-onset epilepsy. In the context of current guidelines, AIS patients presenting with seizures are considered at high risk for seizure recurrence and as a consequence, this patients are deemed as nowadays affected by epilepsy. We aimed to describe the factors associated with acute seizures, epilepsy and seizure recurrence after AIS, as well as their impact on the functional outcome at 12-month follow-up. Methods: This is a cohort study on 1,246 non-epileptic patients with AIS included in a multicenter Mexican registry; who received 12-month follow-up after a first-ever or recurrent AIS. Multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate factors associated with acute seizures and the functional outcome at 12 months of follow-up. Results: The frequency of acute seizures (within 7 days after stroke onset) after AIS was 8.1% [95% confidence interval (CI): 6.7% to 9.8%]. In all, 12-month seizure recurrence rate was 4.8% (95% CI: 3.7% to 6.1%). In a binary logistic regression model, risk factors significantly associated with seizures were >10 scoring of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSSS, US) [odds ratio (OR): 2.21, 95% CI: 1.40-3.47], recurrent ischemic stroke (OR: 2.17, 95% CI: 1.34-3.53) and age 3) at 12 months of follow-up [hazard ratio (HR): 1.37, 95% CI: 1.04-1.83], as well as NIHSS >10 (HR: 4.47, 95% CI: 3.53-5.65), age ≥65 years (HR: 1.74, 95% CI: 1.38-2.20), heart failure (HR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.22-2.13) and atrial fibrillation (HR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.05-1.74). Conclusions: The frequency of provoked seizures after acute ischemic stroke in this cohort was 8%. Age

Background and objective Acute transverse myelitis (TM) is an infrequent neurological complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Short-term outcome varies widely between cohorts. Little is known about the epidemiology and long-term functional outcome of TM associated to SLE. Methods Patients with SLE and acute TM were identified during hospital admission, visits to the Emergency Room or the Neurology Outpatient Clinic. We evaluated ambispectively those patients with SLE presenting with clinical myelopathy and corroborated with spinal MRI. Cases were divided as partial (non-paralyzing) or complete (paralyzing). We determined long-term functional outcome as well as mortality in those patients with follow-up periods of at least five years. Results We identified 35 patients (partial, n = 15; complete, n = 20) in which complete clinical and imaging data were available (26 with follow-up ≥ 5 years). Patients with complete TM were significantly older than those with partial forms. Positive antiphospholipid antibodies were observed in 80% of patients, suggesting a possible mechanistical role. Surprisingly, functional recovery at one year was in general good; however, we observed a five-year mortality of 31% because of sepsis (in 10 cases) or pulmonary embolism (in one case). Conclusions Short-term outcome of SLE-related TM is generally good, and recurrence rate is low. However, we observed a long-term fatality rate of 31% for reasons unrelated to TM, suggesting that TM is a manifestation of severe immune dysregulation and a predictor of severity and mortality in patients with SLE.

Background An intriguing feature recently unveiled in some COVID-19 patients is the “silent hypoxemia” phenomenon, which refers to the discrepancy of subjective well-being sensation while suffering hypoxia, manifested as the absence of dyspnea. Objective To describe the clinical characteristics and predictors of silent hypoxemia in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study including consecutive hospitalized adult (≥ 18 years) patients with confirmed COVID-19 presenting to the emergency department with oxygen saturation (SpO2) ≤ 80% on room air from March 15 to June 30, 2020. We analyzed the characteristics, disease severity, and in-hospital outcomes of patients presenting with dyspnea and those without dyspnea (silent hypoxemia). Results We studied 470 cases (64.4% men; median age 55 years, interquartile range 46–64). There were 447 (95.1%) patients with dyspnea and 23 (4.9%) with silent hypoxemia. The demographic and clinical characteristics, comorbidities, laboratory and imaging findings, disease severity, and outcomes were similar between groups. Higher breathing and heart rates correlated significantly with lower SpO2 in patients with dyspnea but not in those with silent hypoxemia. Independent predictors of silent hypoxemia were the presence of new-onset headache (OR 2.919, 95% CI 1.101–7.742; P = 0.031) and presenting to the emergency department within the first eight days after symptoms onset (OR 3.183, 95% CI 1.024–9.89; P = 0.045). Conclusions Patients with silent hypoxemia sought medical attention earlier and had new-onset headache more often. They were also likely to display lower hemodynamic compensatory responses to hypoxemia, which may underestimate the disease severity.

Background: Transcranial color-coded sonography (TCCS) allows direct observation of arteries and the possibility of correcting the insonation angle for reliable evaluation of hemodynamics. We obtained TCCS reference values of the cerebral hemodynamics after correction of insonation angles. Methods: We studied 195 healthy adults equally allocated into 3 age groups: 18-40, 41-60, and greater than or equal to 61 years. The middle (MCA), anterior (ACA), and posterior cerebral arteries (PCA) were evaluated through the temporal acoustic window using conventional pulsed transcranial Doppler and TCCS. Peak systolic, end diastolic, and mean blood flow velocities were registered, as well as pulsatility and resistance indices at 0° and with correction by alignment of insonation angle parallel to the blood flow vector. We derived normative values assuming both the parametric and nonparametric distributions. Results: We excluded 33 participants due to inadequate acoustic window (10.3%), carotid disease (2.1%), and embryonic variants (4.6%), leaving out 162 for final analysis (50% female, median age 48 years). The 2.5th-97.5th percentiles of the corrected angle for MCA was 0°-60°, ACA 0°-44°, and PCA 30°-60°. After angle correction, 2.5th-97.5th percentiles for flow velocity of MCA, ACA, and PCA were 37.7-112.5 cm/s, 25.6-71.2 cm/s, and 29.2-80.8 cm/s, respectively. There were wide discrepancies between hemodynamics values obtained with insonation angles at 0° and after angle correction. No differences were found between ultrasound methods at exactly 0° or between hemispheres, however, there were differences according to age and sex. Conclusions: Specific normative tables should be used in TCCS when the corrected angle is greater than 0° since the hemodynamics values greatly differ after correction of the insonation angle. Further studies are necessary to determine critical cutoffs indicating disease.

espanolIntroduccion: La enfermedad carotidea aterosclerosa (ECA) es un factor de riesgo importante para enfermedad vascular cerebral. Objetivo: Analizar la asociacion entre factores de riesgo vascular mayores con ECA y leucopatia cerebral en pacientes sin historia de ictus isquemico. Metodo: Se evaluaron factores de riesgo en sujetos con exploracion de carotidas mediante ultrasonografia Doppler duplex. No se incluyeron casos con historia de infarto cerebral o ataque isquemico transitorio. Los sujetos contaron con resonancia magnetica cerebral y se excluyeron aquellos con lesiones isquemicas de grandes vasos. Se construyeron modelos multivariable para la prediccion de ECA, estenosis carotidea significativa, carga de ateromas y leucopatia cerebral. Resultados: Se estudiaron 145 sujetos (60.7 % mujeres, edad de 73 anos). Se documento ECA en 54.5 %, estenosis carotidea ≥ 50 % en 9 %, carga de placas de ateroma > 6 en 7.6 % y leucopatia periventricular o subcortical en 28.3 % (20.6 % tenian concurrentemente ECA y leucopatia). Los factores asociados independientemente con ECA fueron edad e hipertension; con estenosis ≥ 50 %, hipertension; con cargas de ateromas > 6 placas, edad; con leucopatia, edad, diabetes e hipertension. La obesidad no se asocio con las variables independientes analizadas. Conclusiones: En los sujetos asintomaticos sin historia de ictus isquemico, la edad y la hipertension fueron los factores de riesgo mas importantes para enfermedad macrovascular. La diabetes mellitus se asocio con enfermedad microvascular. La obesidad por si sola no fue un determinante mayor de ECA o leucopatia cerebral. EnglishIntroduction: Atherosclerotic carotid artery disease (CAD) is a major risk factor for cerebrovascular disease. Objective: To analyze the association of major vascular risk factors with atherosclerotic CAD and white matter disease (WMD) in patients without a history of ischemic stroke. Method: Risk factors were assessed with carotid examination using Doppler duplex ultrasound. Cases with a history cerebral infarction or transient ischemic attack were not included. Subjects had brain magnetic resonance imaging scans available and those with large-artery ischemic lesions were excluded. Multivariate models were constructed for the prediction of atherosclerotic CAD, significant carotid stenosis, atheroma burden and WMD. Results: One-hundred and forty-five subjects were assessed (60.7% were females, mean age was 73 years). Atherosclerotic CAD was documented in 54.5%, carotid stenosis ≥ 50% in 9.0%, > 6 atheroma plaques in 7.6%, and periventricular or subcortical WMD in 28.3% (20.6% had atherosclerotic CAD and WMD concurrently). Risk factors independently associated with atherosclerotic CAD were age and hypertension; hypertension was associated with ≥ 50% carotid stenosis; age was associated with > 6 atheroma plaques; and age, diabetes and hypertension were associated with WMD. Obesity was not associated with any of the analyzed independent variables. Conclusions: In asymptomatic subjects without a history of ischemic stroke, age and hypertension were the most important risk factors for macrovascular disease. Diabetes mellitus was associated with microvascular disease. Obesity alone was not a major determinant of CAD or WMD.

Diffuse cerebral angiomatosis is a rare disorder of the brain and only 5 cases have been reported to date. We report a 16-year-old female patient who presented to the emergency department with seizures. The patient had no hereditary syndromes, no epistaxis, no skin lesions and no telangiectasia. There was no livedo reticularis. The ophthalmologic examination was within normal limits. Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) showed multiple diffuse tortuous vessels all around the brain tissue and ventricular system. Brain CT showed multiple calcifications. Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) demonstrated multiple arteriovenous shunts and diffuse arteriovenous malformations (AVM) without a typical nidus, draining into dilated cerebral veins. Multimodal ultrasound showed increased flow velocities in all cerebral arteries. We report the case of a patient with diffuse cerebral angiomatosis. This is the third study in which hemodynamic indices were evaluated through transcranial Doppler. Unlike all other case reports our patient had a bad outcome with important disability, dementia and drug resistant epilepsy that lead to the patient's death.HighlightsDiffuse cerebral angiomatosis is a rare disorder of the brain and only 5 cases have been reported to date.Unlike all other case reports our patient had a bad outcome with disability, dementia and drug resistant epilepsy that lead to the patient's death.

Introduction and Purpose: Guidelines strongly recommend oral anticoagulation (OAC) for stroke prevention for individuals with atrial fibrillation (AF). Before introduction of direct oral anticoagulants (DOAs) in 2011, we demonstrated that in our Hispanic population most of the patients with AF admitted with an acute stroke were receiving antiplatelets or no antithrombotic therapy. This study examined the trends in antithrombotic use in AF after the introduction of DOAs. Methods: Patients with transient ischemic attack [TIA] and ischemic stroke [IS] enrolled in Mexican national registries of general public hospitals (n=4172) were analyzed to select patients with previous AF (n=534). Hemorrhagic stroke was excluded. Primary end points were (1) to compare pre-stroke antithrombotic treatment between patients who had a stroke from 2002-2010 versus 2011-2018, and (2) to compare short-term outcome regarding pre-stroke treatment and between both time periods. Results: Prevalence of AF was 12.8% (534/4172), age 73.8 ±13.3; 170 (31.8%) had had a previous IS/TIA. CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc 3.89 ±1.8, HAS-BLED 2.3 ± 1.1. When comparing antithrombotic therapy between both time periods we found: no anticoagulant therapy 71.8% vs 66.9%, subtherapeutic levels of those receiving vitamin-K antagonists (VKAs) 20.2% vs 10.5%, therapeutic VKA 8% vs 14.3%, and DOAs use of 14.3% (only last period). OAC effective therapy was lower in patients without previous IS/TIA (9.9% versus 17.1%). Patients using OAC in therapeutic range or DOAs at the time of stroke had better outcome when compared with individuals taking antiplatelets or no antithrombotics (P p = 0.003). Conclusions: In our Hispanic population underuse of effective anticoagulant therapy is still prevalent even in the new DOAs era (more >70%). VKA in therapeutic ranges or DOAs use had less disability and mortality on short-term outcome. There is a low frequency of DOAs in our public general hospital population.

Improvement in cognitive function after orthotopic liver transplantation (LT) has been demonstrated in the acute setting immediately after LT and in acute liver failure. However, the longterm changes in cerebral hemodynamics after LT remain unexplored. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the longterm changes in cerebral hemodynamics of patients with cirrhosis after LT. In this prospective cohort study, we performed transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) measuring the pulsatility index (PI), resistance index (RI), and breath-holding index (BHI) to evaluate cerebrovascular structural integrity and reactivity, respectively, in both middle cerebral arteries before and after LT. Neuropsychometric tests and West-Haven criteria were used for hepatic encephalopathy (HE) characterization. Interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor α plasma levels were measured. Descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon's test were used. There were 27 patients who were included. Median follow-up after LT was 6 months, mean age before LT was 46.3 ± 10.3 years, the main etiology was hepatitis C virus (59%), and most of the patients were Child-Pugh B (15/27). Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score was 16 ± 7.5, MELD-Na was 19.3 ± 7.1, Psychometric Hepatic Encephalopathy Score was -3.48 ± 3.66, and critical flicker fusion (CFF) was 40.28 ± 5.70 Hz. Before LT, 17/27 patients had HE and 11/27 ascites. A decrease of 20.8% and 13.5% in PI and RI was observed after LT (P < 0.001, both), together with an increase in BHI (32.4%, P = 0.122). These changes in cerebral hemodynamics paralleled those in systemic inflammation. Clinical improvement in cognition was observed in all patients with overt HE after LT. In conclusion, these results show a significant improvement in cerebral hemodynamics after LT, obtained through TCD, indicating less arterial cerebral vasoconstriction together with a decrease in systemic inflammation. Changes in cerebral vasoconstriction can be the basis for the improvement in cognitive function after LT in the long term.

Epidemiological studies on myasthenia gravis (MG) in Mexico is mainly derived from experiences in referral centers.To describe the epidemiological characteristics of hospital discharges during 2010 with the diagnosis of MG in adults hospitalized in the Mexican public health system.We consulted the database of hospital discharges during 2010 of the National Health Information System (Ministry of Health, IMSS, IMSS oportunidades, ISSSTE, PEMEX, and the Ministry of Defense). The MG records were identified by the code G70.0 of the International Classification of Diseases 10th revision.During 2010 there were 5,314,132 hospital discharges (4,254,312 adults). Among them, 587 (0.01%) were adults with MG (median age: 47 years, 60% women). Women with MG were significantly younger than men (median age: 37 vs. 54 years, respectively; p0.001). The median hospital stay was six days. The case fatality rate was 3.4%, without gender differences. Age was associated with the probability of death.We confirmed the bimodal age-gender distribution in MG. The in-hospital case fatality rate in Mexico is consistent with recent reports around the world.

Moderate to severe stenosis is the less prevalent among the forms of carotid atherosclerotic disease), but it carries a high risk of ischaemic stroke.To characterise factors associated with moderate to severe carotid stenosis in a high-risk population.We performed an analysis on traditional risk factors associated with carotid stenosis ≥50% in 533 patients who received Doppler ultrasound due to a history of stroke (34%) or who had = 2 of the risk factors: age ≥55 years (86%), hypertension (65%), dyslipidemia (52%), obesity (42%), diabetes (40%) or smoking (40%).The prevalence of carotid stenosis ≥50% was 7.1%, symptomatic (associated with stroke in congruent territory) in 5.6%, bilateral in 2.1% and bilateral symptomatic in 1.5%. A 36.8% of patients had moderate to severe load (≥4) of atherosclerotic plaques (25.9% moderate: 4-6 plaques, and 10.9% severe: ≥7 plaques). By multivariate analysis we identified the age ≥75 years, dyslipidemia, and smoking as factors independently associated with carotid stenosis ≥50%, and hypertension and smoking with symptomatic stenosis. The number of risk factors was strongly associated with the prevalence of carotid stenosis. Notably, neither diabetes nor obesity explained the degree of moderate to severe carotid stenosis.As forms of carotid atherosclerotic disease, moderate to severe stenosis is less frequent than a high burden of atherosclerotic plaques. Advanced age, smoking, dyslipidemia and hypertension are the main traditional risk factors associated with the degree of carotid stenosis.Caracterizacion de factores asociados con estenosis carotidea en una poblacion de alto riesgo.Introduccion. La estenosis moderada a grave es la forma de enfermedad carotidea aterosclerosa menos prevalente, pero que implica un alto riesgo de ictus isquemico. Objetivo. Caracterizar los factores asociados con la estenosis carotidea moderada a grave en una poblacion de alto riesgo. Pacientes y metodos. Realizamos un analisis de los factores de riesgo tradicionales asociados a estenosis carotidea= 50% en 533 pacientes que recibieron evaluacion mediante ultrasonograma Doppler por historia de ictus (34%), o que contaban con al menos dos de los factores de riesgo: edad= 55 años (86%), hipertension (65%), dislipidemia (52%), obesidad (42%), diabetes (40%) o tabaquismo (40%). Resultados. La prevalencia de estenosis carotidea= 50% fue del 7,1%, sintomatica (asociada a ictus en territorio congruente) en el 5,6%, bilateral en el 2,1% y sintomatica bilateral en el 1,5%. Un 36,8% de los pacientes presento carga moderada a grave (= 4) de placas de ateroma (25,9%, moderada: 4-6 placas; y 10,9%, grave:= 7 placas). Mediante analisis multivariable se identifico la edad= 75 años, la dislipidemia y el tabaquismo como factores asociados con estenosis= 50%, y la hipertension arterial y el tabaquismo con estenosis sintomatica. El numero de factores de riesgo se asocio fuertemente con la prevalencia de estenosis carotidea. Notablemente, ni la diabetes ni la obesidad explicaron el grado de estenosis moderada a grave. Conclusiones. Como formas de enfermedad carotidea aterosclerosa, la frecuencia de estenosis moderada a grave es menor que una carga alta de placas de ateroma. La edad avanzada, el tabaquismo, la dislipidemia y la hipertension son los principales factores tradicionales que se asocian con el grado de estenosis carotidea.

Introduccion. La estenosis moderada a grave es la forma de enfermedad carotidea aterosclerosa menos prevalente, pero que implica un alto riesgo de ictus isquemico. Objetivo. Caracterizar los factores asociados con la estenosis carotidea moderada a grave en una poblacion de alto riesgo. Pacientes y metodos. Realizamos un analisis de los factores de riesgo tradicionales asociados a estenosis carotidea >= 50% en 533 pacientes que recibieron evaluacion mediante ultrasonograma Doppler por historia de ictus (34%), o que contaban con al menos dos de los factores de riesgo: edad >= 55 anos (86%), hipertension (65%), dislipidemia (52%), obesidad (42%), diabetes (40%) o tabaquismo (40%). Resultados. La prevalencia de estenosis carotidea >= 50% fue del 7,1%, sintomatica (asociada a ictus en territorio congruente) en el 5,6%, bilateral en el 2,1% y sintomatica bilateral en el 1,5%. Un 36,8% de los pacientes presento carga moderada a grave (>= 4) de placas de ateroma (25,9%, moderada: 4-6 placas; y 10,9%, grave: >= 7 placas). Mediante analisis multivariable se identifico la edad >= 75 anos, la dislipidemia y el tabaquismo como factores asociados con estenosis >= 50%, y la hipertension arterial y el tabaquismo con estenosis sintomatica. El numero de factores de riesgo se asocio fuertemente con la prevalencia de estenosis carotidea. Notablemente, ni la diabetes ni la obesidad explicaron el grado de estenosis moderada a grave. Conclusiones. Como formas de enfermedad carotidea aterosclerosa, la frecuencia de estenosis moderada a grave es menor que una carga alta de placas de ateroma. La edad avanzada, el tabaquismo, la dislipidemia y la hipertension son los principales factores tradicionales que se asocian con el grado de estenosis carotidea.