Background and Objectives Prolonged poststroke cardiac rhythm monitoring (PCM) reveals a substantial proportion of patients with ischemic stroke (IS) with atrial fibrillation (AF) not detected by conventional rhythm monitoring strategies. We evaluated the association between PCM and the institution of stroke preventive strategies and stroke recurrence. Methods We searched MEDLINE and SCOPUS databases to identify studies reporting stroke recurrence rates in patients with history of recent IS or TIA receiving PCM compared with patients receiving conventional cardiac rhythm monitoring. Pairwise meta-analyses were performed under the random effects model. To explore for differences between the monitoring strategies, we combined direct and indirect evidence for any given pair of monitoring devices assessed within a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Results We included 8 studies (5 RCTs, 3 observational; 2,994 patients). Patients receiving PCM after their index event had a higher rate of AF detection and anticoagulant initiation in RCTs (risk ratio [RR] 3.91, 95% CI 2.54–6.03; RR 2.16, 95% CI 1.66–2.80, respectively) and observational studies (RR 2.06, 95% CI 1.57–2.70; RR 2.01, 95% CI 1.43–2.83, respectively). PCM was associated with a lower risk of recurrent stroke during follow-up in observational studies (RR 0.29, 95% CI 0.15–0.59), but not in RCTs (RR 0.72, 95% CI 0.49–1.07). In indirect analyses of RCTs, the likelihood of AF detection and anticoagulation initiation was higher for implantable loop recorders compared with Holter monitors and external loop recorders. Discussion PCM after an IS or TIA can lead to higher rates of AF detection and anticoagulant initiation. There is no solid RCT evidence supporting that PCM may be associated with lower stroke recurrence risk.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic is caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2). COVID‐19 is occasionally associated with manifold diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). We sought to present the neuroimaging features of such CNS involvement. In addition, we sought to identify typical neuroimaging patterns that could indicate possible COVID‐19‐associated neurological manifestations.METHODS: In this systematic literature review, typical neuroimaging features of cerebrovascular diseases and inflammatory processes associated with COVID‐19 were analyzed. Reports presenting individual patient data were included in further quantitative analysis with descriptive statistics.RESULTS: We identified 115 studies reporting a total of 954 COVID‐19 patients with associated neurological manifestations and neuroimaging alterations. A total of 95 (82.6%) of the identified studies were single case reports or case series, whereas 660 (69.2%) of the reported cases included individual information and were thus included in descriptive statistical analysis. Ischemia with neuroimaging patterns of large vessel occlusion event was revealed in 59.9% of ischemic stroke patients, whereas 69.2% of patients with intracerebral hemorrhage exhibited bleeding in a location that was not associated with hypertension. Callosal and/or juxtacortical location was identified in 58.7% of cerebral microbleed positive images. Features of hemorrhagic necrotizing encephalitis were detected in 28.8% of patients with meningo‐/encephalitis.CONCLUSIONS: Manifold CNS involvement is increasingly reported in COVID‐19 patients. Typical and atypical neuroimaging features have been observed in some disease entities, so that familiarity with these imaging patterns appears reasonable and may assist clinicians in the differential diagnosis of COVID‐19 CNS manifestations.

Background and purpose: Measurement of the cross‐sectional area (CSA) of peripheral nerves using ultrasound is useful in the evaluation of focal lesions like entrapment syndromes and inflammatory polyneuropathies. Here, a systematic review and meta‐analysis of published CSA reference values for upper extremity nerves was performed.Methods: Available to date nerve ultrasound studies on healthy adults were included and a meta‐analysis for CSA was provided of the following nerves: median nerve at the wrist, forearm, upper arm; ulnar nerve at the Guyon's canal, forearm, elbow, upper arm; radial nerve at the upper arm. Regression and correlation analyses for age, gender, height, weight, geographic continents and publication year are reported.Results: Seventy‐four studies with 4186 healthy volunteers (mean age 42.7 years) and 18,226 examined nerve sites were included. The calculated mean pooled CSA of the median nerve at the wrist was 8.3 mm² (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 7.9–8.7, n = 4071), at the forearm 6.4 mm² (95% CI 5.9–6.9, n = 3021), at the upper arm 8.3 mm² (95% CI 7.5–9.0, n = 1388), of the ulnar nerve at the Guyon's canal 4.1 mm² (95% CI 3.6–4.6, n = 1688), at the forearm 5.2 mm² (95% CI 4.8–5.7, n = 1983), at the elbow 5.9 mm² (95% CI 5.4–6.5, n = 2551), at the upper arm 6.6 mm² (95% CI 5.1–6.1, n = 1737) and of the radial nerve 5.1 mm² (95% CI 4.0–6.2, n = 1787). Substantial heterogeneity across studies (I² > 50%) was found only for the radial nerve. Subgroup analysis revealed a positive effect of age for the median nerve at the wrist and for height and weight for different sites of the ulnar nerve.Conclusion: The first meta‐analysis on CSA reference values for the upper extremities with no or only low heterogeneity of reported CSA values in most nerve sites is provided. Our data facilitate the goal of an international standardized evaluation protocol.

Background and Purpose: Since the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many countries have introduced strict hygiene measures of social distancing to prevent further spreading of the disease. This may have led to a decreased presentation to hospital of patients with acute medical conditions and time-dependent management, such as stroke. Methods: We conducted a nationwide cohort study using administrative database of all hospitalized patients with main diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke (AIS), transient ischemic attack, or intracerebral hemorrhage. Data from a total of 1463 hospitals in Germany were included. We compared case numbers and treatment characteristics of pandemic (March 16 to May 15, 2020) and prepandemic (January 16 to March 15, 2020) cases and also with corresponding time period in 2019. Results: We identified a strong decline for hospitalization of AIS (−17.4%), transient ischemic attack (−22.9%), and intracerebral hemorrhage (−15.8%) patients during the pandemic compared with prepandemic period. IVT rate in patients with AIS was comparable (prepandemic versus pandemic: 16.4% versus 16.6%, P =0.448), whereas mechanical thrombectomy rate was significantly higher during the pandemic (8.1% versus 7.7%, P =0.044). In-hospital mortality was significantly increased in patients with AIS during the pandemic period (8.1% versus 7.6%, P =0.006). Conclusions: Besides a massive decrease in absolute case numbers, our data suggest that patients with AIS who did seek acute care during the pandemic, continued to receive acute recanalization treatment in Germany.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To date, normal values for optic nerve diameter (OND) and optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) for transorbital sonography (TOS) have only been reported by individual small‐scale studies, exposing a great variability in the measurement of the OND and ONSD.METHODS: We performed a systematic review and metanalysis of available to date studies on TOS evaluation of adults without elevated intracranial pressure to provide an overview of the published literature, measuring methods and further specify normal values for OND and ONSD.RESULTS: In total, we included 39 studies with 2,927 healthy volunteers (mean age 36.1 years, 44.4% female), so that a total of 5,854 eyes were examined. All pooled analyses were based on random effect models. Mean values for OND were provided in 13 studies. Calculated mean pooled OND value was 3.08 mm (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.9‐3.25), with low heterogeneity across studies (I²= 12.7%). Thirty‐four studies provided mean values for ONSD measurement. The pool of mean ONSD measurements was 4.78 mm (95% CI, 4.63‐4.94), with evidence of substantial heterogeneity between estimates ONSD (I²= 50.6%). There were no significant differences (P= .139) in the subsequent subgroup analysis for the different geographic continents. Also, no significant differences could be recorded for the effect of age (P= .824) or gender (P= .093).CONCLUSIONS: TOS is a frequently described and widely used method. We provide reference values of OND and ONSD that are based on metanalytical analysis. Different measuring methods of ONSD result in higher heterogeneity. Subgroup analysis revealed no significant correlation between ONSD and age, gender, or geographic origin.