BACKGROUND: Preclinical studies have indicated that Angong Niuhuang Pills (ANP) reduce cerebral infarct and edema volumes. This study aimed to investigate whether ANP safely reduces cerebral infarct and edema volumes in patients with moderate to severe acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial included patients with acute ischemic stroke with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores ranging from 10 to 20 in 17 centers in China between April 2021 and July 2022. Patients were allocated within 36 h after onset via block randomization to receive ANP or placebo (3 g/day for 5 days). The primary outcomes were changes in cerebral infarct and edema volumes after 14 days of treatment. The primary safety outcome was severe adverse events (SAEs) for 90 days. RESULTS: There were 57 and 60 patients finally included in the ANP and placebo groups, respectively for modified intention-to-treat analysis. The median age was 66.0 years, and the median NIHSS score at baseline was 12.0. The changes in cerebral infarct volume at day 14 were 0.3 mL and 0.4 mL in the ANP and placebo groups, respectively (median difference: -7.1 mL; interquartile range [IQR]: -18.3 to 2.3 mL, P = 0.30). The changes in cerebral edema volume of the ANP and placebo groups on day 14 were 11.4 mL and 4.0 mL, respectively ( median difference: 3.0 mL, IQR: -1.3 to 9.9 mL, P = 0.15). The rates of SAE within 90 days were similar in the ANP (3/57, 5%) and placebo (7/60, 12%) groups ( P = 0.36). Changes in serum mercury and arsenic concentrations were comparable. In patients with large artery atherosclerosis, ANP reduced the cerebral infarct volume at 14 days (median difference: -12.3 mL; IQR: -27.7 to -0.3 mL, P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: ANP showed a similar safety profile to placebo and non-significant tendency to reduce cerebral infarct volume in patients with moderate-to-severe stroke. Further studies are warranted to assess the efficacy of ANP in reducing cerebral infarcts and improving clinical prognosis. TRAIL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrials.gov , No. NCT04475328.
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Ischemic Stroke/drug therapy* ; Pilot Projects ; Stroke/drug therapy* ; Treatment Outcome

Patients with intracranial hemorrhage and indications of antithrombotic therapy are common in clinical practice. However, whether and when to start anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy after intracranial hemorrhage are still debatable. Clinicians are posed with huge challenges without available guidelines. Through reviewing relevant literature, this article analyzed the risks of thromboembolism and hemorrhage recurrence after initiation of anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy in patients with intracranial hemorrhage due to various etiologies. This article also presented the initiation time and specific antithrombotic plan in current clinical practice, aiming to propose references for clinicians.

Anemia and hyperhemoglobin are not common stroke risk factors, and the association between hemoglobin concentration and stroke remains inconclusive. Through searching the literature, the impact of hypo- and hyper-hemoglobin on the risks of incident stroke, mortality, and poor functional prognosis was analyzed. The review revealed a U-shaped relationship between hemoglobin and the risks of incidental ischemic stroke, and mortality of ischemic stroke and intracranial hemorrhage, separately. However, the optimal hemoglobin concentration was undetermined.

Objective To investigate the role of three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction based parameters of hematoma cavity and encephalocoele in predicting hematoma expansion and hospitalized poor outcome in patients with primary brainstem hemorrhage (PBH). Methods Thirty-two PBH patients met research criterion were enrolled from intensive care unit (ICU) between June 2015 and December 2017. Baseline clinical characteristics, CT images on admission and within 48 h of admission were collected. The 3D reconstruction of hematoma cavity and encephalocoele based on CT images was performed by Mimics10.0, and quantity of triangles per square milimet surface (TQOT/mm2), and hematoma volume (HV) and encephalocoele volume (EV) were obtained. All patients were divided into hematoma expansion group and non-hematoma expansion group according to whether hematoma expansion appeared (hematoma expanded>33％ within 48 h of admission as compared with that on admission), and hospitalized poor outcome group and hospitalized non-poor outcome group according to whether hospitalized poor outcome appeared (modified Rankin scale scores>4 at discharge or hospitalized deaths), respectively. The risk factors of hematoma expansion were investigated by multivariable Logistic regression analysis. Multivariable Cox hazard regression was used to analyze the risk factors of poor outcome; Kaplain-Meier survival curve analysis and Log-rank test were used to compare the differences in survival curves between independent risk factors screened by Cox regression analysis. Results There were 11 patients (34.4％) with hematoma expansion and 14 (43.8％) with ventriculomegaly in 32 patients; in these 11 patients with hematoma expansion, 8 had ventriculomegaly, and the two had positive correlation (rp=0.423, P=0.016). Fifteen patients (46.9％) had poor outcome, in which 11 (34.4％) died in hospital; 5 had hematoma expansion and 8 had ventriculomegaly. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that baseline lactate >2.0 mmol/L (OR=11.986, 95％CI: 1.084-132.552, P=0.043) and TQOT/mm2>2 (OR=10.223, 95％CI: 1.424-73.396, P=0.021) were independent risk factors of hematoma expansion. Baseline HV (HR=1.102, 95％ CI: 1.020-1.143, P=0.002) and EV (HR=3.485, 95％ CI:1.071-11.463, P=0.040) were risk factors of hospitalized poor outcome identified by multivariable Cox analysis. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the hospitalization days of hospitalized poor outcome were (74.0±10.6) d and (25.5±7.0) d between patients have hematoma expansion Cut-off value of 7 mL, with significant difference (Log-rank: χ2=11.832, P=0.001), and the hospitalization days of hospitalized poor outcome in patients with and without ventriculomegaly were (68.1±9.0) d and (29.9± 8.8) d, respectively, with significant difference (Log-rank: χ2=7.483, P=0.006). Conclusions There is correlation between hematoma expansion and ventriculomegaly; patients with TQOT/mm2>2 might have high risk of hematoma expansion; patients with baseline HV>7 mL and ventriculomegaly would sooner have hospitalized poor outcome.

Objective:To explore the mechanism,clinical features,and prognosis of trigemino-cardiac reflex (TCR) during skull base operations.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 291 patients with skull base disease from Jan.2009 to Oct.2015 in Peking University First Hospital.By reviewing the patients' operative data and anaesthetic electrical record,and we picked out all the patients who suffered from TCR during the operation and analyzed their surgical procedures,clinical features,influence factors,and prognosis.TCR was defined as a drop in mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) and the heart rate (HR) of more than 20％ to the baseline values before the stimulus and coinciding with the manipulation of the trigeminal nerve.Results:In all the 291 patients receiving skull base surgery,9 patients suffering TCR for 19 times during the operation were found.These 9 cases included three acoustice schwannomas,one trigeminal schwannoma,one petroclival meningioma,one epidermoid cyst in cerebellopontine angle,one cavernous sinus cavernous hemangioma,one pituitary adenoma,and one trigeminal neuralgia.The trigger of TCR was related to manipulation,retraction,and stimulation of the trunk or branches of trigeminal nerve.The baseline heart rate was 62-119/min [mean (79.4 ± 14.6) /min] and dropped about 29.0％-66.4％ (mean 44.3％) to 22-60/min [mean (44.2 ±9.6) /min] after TCR.The baseline mean arterial blood pressure was 75-103 mmHg [mean (87.5 ±7.8) mmHg] and dropped about 23.4％-47.2％ (mean 37.3 ％) to 45-67 mmHg [mean (54.9 ± 6.3) mmHg] after TCR.During the 19 times of TCR,heart rate and blood pressure could return to baseline in a short time while stopping manipulation (8 times),using atropine (8 times,dose 0.5-1.0 mg,mean 0.69 mg),using ephedrine hydrochloride (one time,15 mg),using epinephrine (one time,1 mg),and using dopamine (one time,2 mg).TCR also could be triggered again by a second stimulation.There was no relative cardiologic complication or neurological deficit in the postoperative 24 hours.Conclusion:TCR is a short neural reflex with a drop in blood pressure and heart rate coinciding with the manipulation of the trigeminal nerve in skull base surgery.Correct recognition,intensive observation,and essential management of TCR will lead to a good prognosis.

Objective To describe the clinical spectrum,especially sleep disorder in three patients diagnosed with Morvan syndrome.Methods Three consecutive patients were identified with Morvan syndrome in the Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital between December 2014 and March 2016.The character in three cases has been studied from several aspects such as clinical presentation, imaging, polysomnography (PSG), cerebrospinal fluid and serum.Results Serum test showed serum contactin-associated protein 2 (CASPR2)antibodies strongly positive (+++) and leucine-rich glioma inactivated protein 1 antibodies positive (+) in three patients.Neuropsychiatric features, neuromyotonia, neuropathic pain, dysautonomia, agrypnia excitata presented in all three patients.The agrypnia excitata was characterized by severe insomnia, excessive motor activity during the night.Agrypnia excitata was diagnosed in three patients according to their history.PSG was finished in case 2 and case 3.PSG in one patient (case 2) documented severe insomnia (sleep efficiency was 59%), lack of cyclic sleep organization with a predominance of stage 1 non-rapid eye movement sleep episodes intermixed with brief rapid eye movement, and a marked reduction of spindles and delta sleep;PSG in another patient (case 3) revealed complete absence of recognizable sleep.Sleep disorders and other symptoms resolved completely or almost completely in two patients (case 1,case 2) who received immunotherapy.Case 3 died from sudden cardiac death before immunotherapy.Conclusions Morvan syndrome usually is associated with high-titer CASPR2 antibodies in serum.Agrypnia excitata is cardinal manifestation of Morvan syndrome in association with a spectrum of neurologic presentations.Early immunotherapy could provide a favorable outcome.

BACKGROUND: As a new radiotherapy for malignant tumor, brachytherapy of radioactive seed implantation enables the inter-tissue implantation of radioactive seeds to be applied further with the appearance of seed implantation treatment planning system (TPS), and the gradual consummation of ultrasound and CT-guided precise positioning system.OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the methods, feasibility, safety and efficacy of CT-guided iodine-125 (125I) implantation for malignant tumors.DESIGN: A controlled observation before and after implantation.SETTING: The First People's Hospital of Hefei City.PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-one patients with malignant tumors, who were not suitable for surgical treatments of operation,were selected from the First People's Hospital of Hefei City from January 2004 to March 2005. There were 26 lesions, including 9 lesions of primary unresectable carcinoma and 17 lesions of metastasis tumors.METHODS: Under CT guidance, 125I seeds were implanted into malignant tumor according to TPS, the radioactivity quantum were 22, 26, 30 and 33 MBq per granule. Larger radiation 125I wes suitable for the implantation in the center of a lesion and smaller ones were for the margin of the lesion and the peripheral region of some important organisms such as vessels and nerves. The interval between larger seeds was about 1.5 cm whereas the interval between smaller ones was about 1.0 cm.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The seed distribution, existence of complication and changes of the size of lesion after implantation were observed.RESULTS: ① The seeds were implanted successfully in all the 21 cases. No complication was observed. The practical distribution of the implanted seeds was basically the same as the scheduled scheme before implantation. All the 21 patients were involved in the analysis of results. ② The number of seeds implanted in one lesion was 5 to 40 (mean 14).Pain relief was obtained in all 10 cases of malignant tumors of bone after implantation. Follow-up CT reexamination demonstrated that 18 lesions were obviously diminished, necrosis was found in 4 lesions and remaining 4 lesions had no significant changes in size. ③ The average sizes of 14 lesions in 11 patients at 5-7 months after implantation were obviously smaller than those before implantation (1.84 cm vs 3.41 cm, t =5.7237, P ＜ 0.001). The average sizes of 12 lesions in 10 patients at 8-10 months after implantation were also obviously smaller than those before implantation (1.96 cm vs 3.43 cm, t =5.577 8, P ＜ 0.002).CONCLUSION: CT-guided 125I implantation is a safe, effective and feasible method for the treatment of malignant tumor.

Objective To sum up the experience of decompressive surgery for the acute massive hemispheric infarction to determine its beneficial effects.MethodsRetrospectively study 6 patients receiving early decompressive craniotomy because of deterioration after infarction.Results 5 patients survived,4 of them recovered to the good level of daily activity (Barthel index ≥60) one year after rehabilitation.One senile patient died of pulmonary infection.ConclusionThe decompressive surgery is an effective method on the survival and functionary recovery for the patients with deteriorating massive cerebral infarction.