Clinical features of Trousseau's syndrome with multiple acute ischemic strokes

Trousseau Syndrome-Associated Acute Multifocal Cerebral Infarction: When Triple-Pathway Antithrombotic Therapy Overcomes Low Molecular Weight Heparin Resistance

Trousseau syndrome (TS), a malignancy-associated hypercoagulable state characterized by both arterial and venous synchronous thrombotic events, represents a critical clinical challenge. We present a 63-year-old male with hepatocellular carcinoma metastases who presented to the Emergency Department with acute-onset unconsciousness. Neurological evaluation revealed rare documentation of extensive multifocal cerebral infarcts accompanied by diffuse vascular thrombosis, atherosclerotic plaque burden, and markedly elevated D-dimer levels, establishing the diagnosis of TS. The initial infusion of nadroparin, which was co-administered with aspirin, achieved almost no anticoagulation. Consequently, the strategy was escalated to triple-pathway antithrombotic therapy through substitution with argatroban, clopidogrel, and cilostazol. This regimen successfully prevented further thrombotic complications. This case provides rare documentation of catastrophic cerebral parenchymal involvement secondary to TS. Furthermore, the effective application of anticoagulation-antiplatelet combination therapy following low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) resistance offers a potential management paradigm for refractory hypercoagulable states.

Usefulness of Mechanical Thrombectomy in Patients with Cancer Who Developed Cerebral Infarction

Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is an established treatment for large vessel occlusion in the acute phase of stroke. However, its efficacy and safety in patients with cancer remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of MT against large vessel occlusion between patients with and without cancer. A total of 71 patients who underwent MT from August 2014 to November 2021 were included in this study. Patients with cancer and/or a history of cancer (n = 16) were included in the with cancer group and the remaining patients in the without cancer group (n = 55). The frequency of preoperative tissue plasminogen activator administration was significantly lower in the with cancer group (n = 2 [12.5%]) than in the without cancer group (n = 24 [43.6%]). However, there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of treatment time, pass frequency, thrombolysis in cerebral infarction grade, modified Rankin scale score at 1 week after treatment [mRS (1w) ], modified Rankin scale score at discharge [mRS (ENT) ], modified Rankin scale score at 90 days after treatment [mRS (90 days) ], and length of hospital stay (days). In the multivariate analysis, if the objective variables were mRS (1w) and mRS (90 days), the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and preonset mRS scores were considered significant variables. The presence or absence of cancer was not considered an independent factor of mRS (1w), mRS (ENT), or mRS (90 days). Aggressive treatment may be recommended to patients with cancer and/or a history of cancer who present with a systemic condition that can be managed with MT.

Trousseau syndrome-induced cerebral infarction: Two case reports

RATIONALE

As a paraneoplastic syndrome, Trousseau syndrome (TS) is a collective term for various thromboembolic events caused by clotting and fibrinolytic abnormalities in patients with tumors, clinically manifesting as venous and arterial thromboembolism, as well as disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). The incidence rate of arterial thrombosis in patients with TS is 2% to 5%.

PATIENT CONCERNS

This article reports 2 patients with TS-induced cerebral infarction. One patient had been definitively diagnosed with cervical adenosquamous carcinoma (stage IVB) accompanied by metastases to the liver and scapulae on May 18, 2020, and was treated with surgery and chemoradiotherapy. The other patient had received laparoscopic radical surgery for distal gastric cancer on March 5, 2018, and had undergone postoperative chemotherapy.

DIAGNOSES

Both current illnesses had a stroke-like onset, and cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results were in line with cerebral infarction changes. Hematological examination of both patients revealed an obviously increased D-dimer level. The results for Case 2 also indicated deep-venous thrombosis of the right lower extremity. The 2 patients were finally diagnosed with TS, which was ameliorated after anticoagulant (low-molecular-weight heparin [LMWH]) treatment.

LESSONS

Here, the clinical characteristics and treatment of these 2 TS patients are analyzed and the relevant literature is reviewed to improve understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease. Cerebral infarction is the initial symptom in some patients with malignancies. For unexplained multiple cerebral infarctions, we should screen for occult malignancies to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment, as early and accurate identification of the cause of the disease may improve prognosis.

Trousseau syndrome with recurrent cerebral infarction as the first oneset in a gastrointestinal malignant tumor patient: A case report

RATIONALE

Trousseau syndrome (TS) is a thrombosis disorder characterized by a hypercoagulable state linked to underlying malignancies, resulting in various thrombotic events such as deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and arterial thrombosis. This syndrome serves as a crucial indicator of malignancy and can often be the first sign of an underlying tumor. In this case, we report a case of gastrointestinal malignant tumor as the first onset, and analyzes its clinical characteristics to improve the clinicians' understanding of this kind of disease.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 69-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital 4 times in 1 month for cerebral infarction. The patient was admitted several times with a new cerebral infarction lesion and a high D-dimer level, a persistently positive fecal occult blood test, and a gastrointestinal tumor was later found.

DIAGNOSIS

The patient was diagnosed with TS, attributed to her underlying malignancy.

INTERVENTIONS

During hospitalization, the patients were treated with aspirin for antiplatelet, esomeprazole for protection of gastric mucosa, atorvastatin for lowering blood lipids, butylphthalein for improvement of collateral circulation, edaravone dextrocamphorol for scavenging oxygen free radicals, and betahistine hydrochloride tablets for preventing dizziness.

OUTCOMES

The patient's condition improved significantly after initial treatment, but died of the tumor a year after discharge.

LESSONS

Currently, TS has a complex and varied clinical presentation and is relatively difficult to diagnose, especially in patients with an unknown tumor history. Focus should be placed on patients with recurrent cerebral infarctions and increased D-dimer levels, and anticoagulation may be an effective treatment for patients with TS.

Clinical features and prognostic factors of patients with cancer-associated stroke

BACKGROUND

Cerebrovascular diseases in cancer patients significantly aggravate their condition and prognosis; therefore, prompt and accurate diagnosis and treatment are important. The purpose of this study was to investigate patient demographics, laboratory data, brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, and prognosis among patients with stroke and cancer, especially cancer-associated ischemic stroke (CAIS).

METHODS

We performed a retrospective, single-center study. We enrolled consecutive patients who had acute stroke and were admitted to our hospital between January 2011 and December 2021. We collected general demographic characteristics, cancer histopathological type, laboratory data, brain MRI findings, and prognosis data.

RESULTS

Among 2040 patients with acute stroke, a total of 160 patients (7.8%) had active cancer. The types of strokes were cerebral infarction, cerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and transient ischemic attack in 124, 25, 5, and 6 patients, respectively. Among the patients with ischemic stroke, there were 69 cases of CAIS. Pancreas and adenocarcinoma were the most frequent types of primary tumor and histopathology. Patients with adenocarcinoma and those with cerebral infarctions in both bilateral anterior and posterior cerebral circulation areas showed higher D-dimer levels. Pancreatic cancer and high plasma D-dimer levels were associated with poor survival rate.

CONCLUSION

CAIS was seen more frequently in patients with pancreatic cancer and adenocarcinoma. Pancreatic cancer and high plasma D-dimer levels were potential factors of poor prognosis in patients with CAIS.

Association between three-territory sign and prognosis of acute ischemic stroke patients with malignancy

Background

Multiple cerebral infarcts are usually secondary to cardiogenic embolism, particularly through atrial fibrillation (AF). The three-territory sign (TTS) is an imaging marker that reflects multiple cerebral lesions involving three vascular territories measured by diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and the most common etiology is an underlying malignancy. Recent studies have shown that TTS is six times more frequently observed in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with malignancy than in those with AF-related AIS. However, the relevance of TTS to the prognosis of IS patients with malignancy remains unclear.

Methods

Over a 5-year period (May 2016 to 31 June 2021), AIS admissions with DWI were identified from the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University. Patients were divided into two groups according to whether they had malignancy or AF, resulting in a total of 80 patients with known malignancy (malignancy group) and 92 patients with AF (AF group). All DWI images were reviewed to determine the territory lesion count. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data, together with radiographic examination data and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score within a year, were collected. The main outcome was the association between TTS and the prognosis of AIS patients with malignancy, analyzed by a multivariate logistic regression model.

Results

A total of 172 patients met the selection criteria, including 17 (21.3%) patients in the malignancy group and 8 (8.7%) patients in the AF group with TTS. Age and sex distributions were similar for AIS patients of malignancy and AF. The TTS was 2.4 times more likely to be observed in AIS patients with malignancy compared to AF-related IS patients. The univariate analysis showed that hypertension (OR = 1.137, 95%CI: 1.002-1.291), D-dimer (OR = 1.328, 95%CI: 1.022-1.726), fibrin degradation product (OR = 1.117, 95%CI: 1.010-1.236), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH; OR = 1.007, 95%CI: 1.000-1.015) were the risk factors for the high mortality rate. Multivariate analysis showed that TTS was the independent risk factor for mortality in AIS patients with malignancy (adjusted OR: 6.866, 95% CI: 1.371-34.395).

Conclusion

TTS was more frequently observed in AIS patients with malignancy than AF-related AIS and substantially related to high poor outcome (mRS > 2) in AIS patients with malignancy, indicating diagnostic and prognostic value in malignancy-associated hypercoagulation stroke.

Neurovascular Manifestations of Iron-Deficient Anemia: Narrative Review and Practical Reflections through a Teaching Case

Anemia is one of the most frequent diseases worldwide, affecting one-third of the general population. Anemia in general and in particular, iron-deficient anemia (IDA), has been associated to a higher risk of thrombotic manifestations, including ischemic stroke and cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT), as well as systemic extra-cerebral arterial and venous thrombosis. Despite these data, anemia is seldom considered as an etiological factor of stroke. An individual case encompassing all known neurovascular and systemic arterial and venous thrombotic manifestations related to IDA is presented with the focus on clinical reasoning issues in the diagnostic pathways, starting from the neuroradiological signs. The main questions have been identified and addressed in a narrative review of the most relevant data in the literature from a pragmatic and clinical viewpoint. The presented case concerns a 46-year-old man admitted to the Stroke Unit because of acute ischemic stroke with multiple thrombi in large intracranial and extracranial vessels, multifocal ischemic lesions in several arterial territories and the concurrent finding of asymptomatic CVT, pulmonary embolism with lung infarction and aortic thrombosis. An extended diagnostic work-up excluded the main etiologies (arterial dissection, cardiac embolism, genetic and acquired prothrombotic disorders, such as cancer and antiphospholipid syndrome), except for a severe IDA, such as to require blood transfusions followed by anticoagulant therapy for the several thrombotic manifestations. Neuroimaging and systemic vascular findings have been analyzed, and the main issues proposed by the case in the diagnostic pathway have been identified and discussed in a pragmatic clinical road map reviewing the data provided by the literature. Conclusions: IDA is a common but treatable condition that, independently or synergically, may increase the risk of thrombotic events. The diagnostic and therapeutic approach has not yet been defined, and each case should be individually addressed in a pragmatic clinical road map.

Direct Advancement of Balloon-Guide Catheter Distal to the Carotid Free-Floating Thrombus Achieves Smart Mechanical Thrombectomy

A 68-year-old man with bladder cancer developed sudden dysarthria and left hemiplegia. MRI revealed occlusion of the right middle cerebral artery (MCA). Cerebral angiography revealed a large carotid free-floating thrombus (CFFT) at the origin of the right internal carotid artery (ICA) and right M1 occlusion. A balloon-guide catheter (BGC) was directly guided distal to the CFFT. Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) was performed on the M1 occlusion while the balloon was inflated to block antegrade blood flow, and good recanalization was achieved. To continue processing the CFFT, the deflated BGC was pulled to the common carotid artery, and the thrombus dispersed into the external carotid artery (ECA). Subsequently, the patient’s symptoms improved. Directly advancing a BGC distally to a CFFT may be a useful treatment strategy for tandem lesions with carotid free-floating thrombi.