Adams-Stokes Syndrome

Internal carotid artery stenosis is a main contributor to recurrent ischemic stroke. This study aimed to evaluate associations between recurrent stroke and changes in prestenting flow direction in the primary collaterals or both primary and secondary collaterals, and the potential interaction between extra- and intracranial arteries.

This longitudinal study recruited stroke patients without intracranial stenosis who underwent right-side carotid stenting between 2011 and 2019. The main study outcome was recurrent stroke. Predictive factors were anterior circulation flow direction change (ACFDC), posterior circulation flow direction change, and reversal of ophthalmic artery/leptomeningeal anastomosis (ROALA) detected by transcranial color-coded duplex (TCCD) before carotid stenting. Patient follow-up was 9 years. Risk factors for recurrent stroke were identified by Kaplan-Meier plot and Cox regression analyses.

A total of 234 patients (mean age 70.88 ± 10.3 years, 86.32% male) were included, and 115 had recurrent stroke. Kaplan-Meier plot showed that patients with left ACFDC and ROALA had worse outcomes than those with ACFDC only, while patients with left ACFDC had worse outcome than those with right ACFDC (both p < 0.001). Cox regression analysis showed that recurrent stoke was associated with ACFDC at right (hazard ratio [95% CI]: 20.988 [2.549-172.790], p < 0.01), left (151.441 [20.100-1140.993], p < 0.001), and both sides (144.889 [19.089-1099.710], p < 0.001).

Anterior circulation flow direction change is significantly associated with recurrent stroke in patients with unilateral carotid stenosis. Patients with ACFDC and ROALA together have worse outcomes compared to those with ACFDC only. Prestenting TCCD images help provide definitive information to predict outcomes after carotid stenting.

We aimed to investigate the echocardiographic characteristics of workers with resting major electrocardiography (ECG) anomalies and risk factors of sudden cardiac death in the large Turkish workers population in different heavy industry sectors.

Between April 2016 and January 2020, 8668 consecutive ECGs were obtained and interpreted during health examinations of working in İstanbul, Turkey. ECGs were classified as major, minor anomaly, and normal according to the Minnesota code criteria. The workers with major anomaly on ECGs, recurrent syncope attacks, and family history (FH) of sudden or inexplicably death under the age of 50 and with a positive FH of cardiomyopathy were also referred to further transthoracic echocardiographic (TTE) examination.

The mean age of the workers was 30.47 ± 9.4 years, most of them were male (97.1%) and under the age of 30 (54.2%). Major ECG changes were detected in 4.6%, and minor anomalies were 28.3%. A total of 663 workers were referred to our cardiology clinic for advanced TTE examination, but only 578 (87.17% of the selected) attended the appointment. Four hundred and sixty-seven (80.7%) echocardiography examinations were within normal limits. Echocardiographic imaging revealed abnormal findings in 98 cases (25.7%) in the ECG abnormalities group, three (4.4%) in the syncope group, and 10 (7.6%) in the positive FH group (p < .001).

This work demonstrated the ECG findings and echocardiographic features of a large sample of Turkish workers from high-risk employment sectors. This is the first study conducted in Turkey on this subject.

Alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC) is characterized by recurrent episodes of hemiplegia which may alternate sides between attacks. The condition is associated with severe neurodevelopmental disorder presenting in early infancy, and may encompass a wide range of other paroxysmal manifestations (e.g., dystonia, nystagmus, dysautonomia) and pervasive neurological disabilities (e.g., developmental delay, learning disabilities, choreoathetosis, and ataxia). Epileptic seizures are particularly common among patients with AHC. Diagnosis is usually based on history and clinical grounds using the Aicardi criteria. Mutations in the ATP1A3 gene are implicated in the disease pathology of the condition, as well as several other neurodevelopmental disorders, suggesting AHC forms part of a spectrum of overlapping clinical syndromes rather than a distinct clinical entity per se. Management of patients with AHC includes the rapid induction of sleep during paroxysmal attacks and the avoidance of identified triggers. Pharmacotherapeutic treatments have a role in managing epileptic seizures, as well as in the prevention of paroxysmal attacks wherein flunarizine remains the treatment of choice.