Introduction: Internal carotid artery dissection (ICAD) is a rare cause of acute ischemic stroke with large vessel occlusion (AIS-LVO). We aimed investigating the impact on outcome of internal carotid artery (ICA) patency after mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for AIS-LVO due to occlusive ICAD. Patients and methods: We included consecutive patients with AIS-LVO due to occlusive ICAD treated with MT from January 2015 to December 2020 in three European stroke centers. We excluded patients with unsuccessful intracranial reperfusion after MT (modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (mTICI) score < 2b). We compared 3-month favorable clinical outcome rate, defined as a modified Rankin scale (mRS) score ⩽2, according to ICA status (patency vs occlusion) at the end of MT and at 24-h follow-up imaging, using univariate and multivariable models. Results: Among 70 included patients, ICA was patent in 54/70 (77%) at the end of MT, and in 36/66 (54.5%) patients with 24-h follow-up imaging. Among patients with ICA patency at the end of MT, 32% presented ICA occlusion at 24-h control imaging. Favorable 3-month outcome occurred in 41/54 (76%) patients with ICA patency post-MT and in 9/16 (56%) patients with occluded ICA post-MT (p = 0.21). Rates of favorable outcome were significantly higher in patients with 24-h ICA patency compared to patients with 24-h ICA occlusion (32/36 [89%] vs 15/30 [50%]), with an adjusted odds ratio of 4.67 (95% CI: 1.26–17.25). Discussion and conclusion: Obtaining sustained (24-h) ICA patency after MT could be a therapeutic target for improving functional outcome in patients with AIS-LVO due to ICAD.

Objective: This study aimed at identifying the incidence, predictors, and impact on long-term mortality and dementia of early-onset delirium in a cohort of patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage. Methods: We prospectively recruited consecutive patients in the Prognosis of InTra-Cerebral Hemorrhage (PITCH) cohort and analyzed incidence rate of early-onset delirium (i.e. during the first seven days after intracerebral hemorrhage onset) with a competing risk model. We used a multivariable Fine-Gray model to identify baseline predictors, a Cox regression model to study its impact on the long-term mortality risk, and a Fine-Gray model adjusted for pre-specified confounders to analyze its impact on new-onset dementia. Results: The study population consisted of 248 patients (mean age 70 years, 54% males). Early-onset delirium incidence rate was 29.8% (95% confidence interval (CI) 24.3–35.6). Multivariate analysis showed that pre-existing dementia (subhazard ratio (SHR) 2.08, 95%CI 1.32–3.32, p = 0.002), heavy alcohol intake (SHR 1.79, 95%CI 1.13–2.82, p = 0.013), and intracerebral hemorrhage lobar location (SHR 1.56, 95%CI 1.01–2.42, p = 0.049) independently predicted early-onset delirium. Median follow-up was 9.5 years. Early-onset delirium was associated with higher mortality rates during the first five years of follow-up (HR 1.52, 95%CI 1.00–2.31, p = 0.049), but did not predict new-onset dementia (SHR 1.31, 95%CI 0.60–2.87). Conclusion: Early-onset delirium is a frequent complication after intracerebral hemorrhage; it is associated with markers of pre-existing brain vulnerability and with higher mortality risk, but not with higher dementia rates during long-term follow-up.

Background: CT perfusion (CTP) is used in patients with anterior circulation acute ischemic stroke (AIS) for predicting the final infarct volume (FIV). Tandem occlusion (TO), involving both intracranial large vessels and the ipsilateral cervical internal carotid artery could generate hemodynamic changes altering perfusion parameters. Our aim is to evaluate the accuracy of CTP in the prediction of the FIV in TOs. Methods: consecutive patients with AIS due to middle cerebral artery occlusion, referred to a tertiary stroke center between March 2019 and January 2021, with an automated CTP and successful recanalization (mTICI = 2b − 3) after endovascular treatment were retrospectively included in the tandem group (TG) or in the control group (CG). Patients with parenchymal hematoma type 2, according to ECASS II classification of hemorrhagic transformations, were excluded in a secondary analysis. Demographic, clinical, radiological, time intervals, safety, and outcome measures were collected. Results: among 319 patients analyzed, a comparison between the TG (N = 22) and CG (n = 37) revealed similar cerebral blood flow (CBF) > 30% (29.50 ± 32.33 vs. 15.76 ± 20.93 p = 0.18) and FIV (54.67 ± 65.73 vs. 55.14 ± 64.64 p = 0.875). Predicted ischemic core (PIC) and FIV correlated in both TG (tau = 0.761, p < 0.001) and CG (tau = 0.315, p = 0.029). The Bland–Altmann plot showed agreement between PIC and FIV for both groups, mainly in the secondary analysis. Conclusion: automated CTP could represent a good predictor of FIV in patients with AIS due to TO.

Introduction: We aim to evaluate the association between door-to-needle time (DTN) and outcomes in a population of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) + mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in the Italian Registry of Endovascular Treatment in Acute Stroke (IRETAS). Materials and methods: Patients with AIS secondary to middle cerebral artery or intracranial internal carotid artery occlusion with known times of symptoms onset, directly presenting to an MT-capable center, were included in the analysis. According to pre-defined DTN cut-off values (⩽30, ⩽45, and ⩽60 min), we evaluated the association between DTN and outcomes by multivariate logistic regression analyses. Effectiveness outcomes were 3-month functional independence, 3-month excellent outcome and successful reperfusion. Safety outcomes were any intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH), and 3-month mortality. Results: About 1602 patients were included in our analysis. After logistic regression analysis, a DTN ⩽ 60 min was significantly associated with 3-month functional independence (OR 1.36; 95% CI 1.02–1.82). DTNs ⩽ 30, ⩽45, and ⩽60 min were significantly associated with successful reperfusion (OR 2.66; 95% CI 1.6–4.43; OR 1.68; 95%CI 1.25-2.26; OR 1.57; 95% CI 1.21–2.05; respectively). A DTN ⩽ 60 min was also significantly associated with lower rate of any ICH (OR 0.61; 95% CI 0.43–0.86). DTNs ⩽ 30, ⩽45, and ⩽60 min were significantly associated with lower 3-month mortality (OR 0.24; 95% CI 0.08–0.67; OR 0.45; 95% CI 0.29–0.72; OR 0.58; 95% CI 0.39–0.84; respectively). Conclusions: In patients with AIS treated with IVT + MT, a shorter DTN is associated with better outcomes if IVT is initiated within 1 h of hospital admission.

Efficacy, safety and tolerability of lacosamide in the treatment of status epilepticus are well described. However, other evidence of its pharmacologic profile in elderly patients with other comorbidities seems warranted. We describe the case of an 80 year-old woman with an history of arterial hypertension, ischemic cardiomyopathy, COPD, CKD, previous laryngeal cancer, a stoma positioning for diverticular disease and previous surgery for a left frontal meningioma. Since then, the patient developed focal epilepsy and she was on levetiracetam and valproic acid therapy. The patient was admitted to our department for a focal status epilepticus characterized by non-fluent aphasia and right facio-brachial clonic movements. She also presented with aspiration pneumonia and started intravenous antibiotic treatment. After failure of a first-line antiepileptic drug, lacosamide intravenous treatment was started, with complete reversal of the clinical picture. EEG then showed focal slow waves mixed to interictal epileptiform discharges over the left fronto-temporal regions. The patient was then discharged home with an oral lacosamide treatment and at 3 months she was seizure-free. Our case report confirms the efficacy of lacosamide in status epilepticus, highlighting its safety and tolerability in an elderly and fragile patient with multiple comorbidities and drug therapy.