Usefulness of cervical magnetic resonance imaging for detecting type A acute aortic dissection with acute stroke symptoms

Stenting in Brain Hemodynamic Injury of Carotid Origin Caused by Type A Aortic Dissection: Local Experience and Systematic Literature Review

In this study, we report our local experience of type A aortic dissections in patients with cerebral malperfusion treated with carotid stenting before or after aortic surgery, and present a systematic literature review on these patients treated either with carotid stenting (CS) before or after aortic surgery (AS) or with aortic and carotid surgery alone (ACS). We report on patients treated in our center with carotid stenting for brain hemodynamic injury of carotid origin caused by type A dissection since 2018, and a systematic review was conducted in PubMed for articles published from 1990 to 2021. Out of 5307 articles, 19 articles could be included with a total of 80 patients analyzed: 9 from our center, 29 patients from case reports, and 51 patients from two retrospective cohorts. In total, 8 patients were treated by stenting first, 72 by surgery first, and 7 by stenting after surgery. The mean age; initial NIHSS score; time from symptom onset to treatment; post-treatment clinical improvement; post-treatment clinical worsening; mortality rate; follow-up duration; and follow-up mRS were, respectively, for each group (local cohort, CS before AS, ACS, CS after AS): 71.2 ± 5.3 yo, 65.5 ± 11.0 yo; 65.3 ± 13.1 yo, 68.7 ± 5.8 yo; 4 ± 8.4, 11.3 ± 8.5, 14.3 ± 8.0, 0; 11.8 ± 14.3 h, 21 ± 39.3 h, 13.6 ± 17.8 h, 13 ± 17.2 h; 56%, 71%, 86%, 57%; 11%, 28%, 0%, 14%; 25%, 12.3%, 14%, 33%; 5.25 ± 2.9 months, 54 months, 6.8 ± 3.8 months, 14 ± 14.4 months; 1 ± 1; 0.25 ± 0.5, 1.3 ± 0.8, 0.68 ± 0.6. Preoperative carotid stenting for hemodynamic cerebral malperfusion by true lumen compression appears to be feasible, and could be effective and safe, although there is still a lack of evidence due to the absence of comparative statistical analysis. The literature, albeit growing, is still limited, and prospective comparative studies are needed.

The characteristics of thoracic aortic dissection in autopsy-diagnosed individuals: An autopsy study

Thoracic aortic dissection (TAD) is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death associated with aortic diseases. The age of TAD victims in forensic studies is significantly younger than hospitalized patients with TAD, while only a few studies have been conducted on autopsy-diagnosed TAD deceased. A retrospective study was conducted at the Medicolegal Center of Sun Yat-sen University from 1999 to 2019 to address the characteristics of TAD victims. A total of 200 deceased from spontaneous rupture of TAD were assessed, with 165 (82.5%) males and 175 (87.5%) Stanford type A deceased. Our main results showed that compared with patients with TAD diagnosed during their lifetime, individuals diagnosed with TAD until an autopsy showed an earlier onset (43.80 years old) and less accompanied hypertension (<50%). Sudden death was the initial symptom of 32 decedents. Instead of chest/back pain (40 decedents), abdominal pain (59 decedents) was the most common initial symptom, and 42 decedents presented with no accompanying pain. A higher proportion of abdominal pain and the painless symptom was associated with a higher risk of misdiagnosis. Women showed a more atypical clinical presentation and rapid progression than men. Younger decedents showed more pronounced left heart changes. The present study implicated the TAD individuals diagnosed until an autopsy as a particular entity, indicating the urgent need for further investigation on early diagnosis and pathogenesis of patients with TAD with atypical pain and painless or with younger age to reduce the burden of TAD-related sudden death.

Acute Endovascular Revascularization for Patients with Common Carotid Artery Occlusion Apparent on Cervical Magnetic Resonance Angiography

OBJECTIVES

In the endovascular treatment of acute cerebral large-vessel occlusion, cervical magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) is a useful modality for assessing the access route. However, we sometimes encounter cases in which not only the internal carotid artery (ICA), but also the common carotid artery (CCA) is poorly visualized, leading to hesitation over which devices and techniques to choose for revascularization. We retrospectively evaluated such cases, focusing on image findings and treatment results.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data from 96 patients who underwent acute endovascular revascularization from January 2016 to December 2019 were analyzed. We extracted patients with poor CCA visualization on cervical MRA from 35 cases with ICA occlusion, and examined angiographic findings, treatment methods, and outcomes.

RESULTS

Poor visualization of the CCA in cervical MRA was observed in 8 cases. All cases displayed atrial fibrillation or sick sinus syndrome. Angiographic findings showed true CCA occlusion in 2 patients and ICA occlusion in 6 patients. Reasons for the inability to visualize the CCA on cervical MRA were speculated to be stenosis of the external carotid artery (ECA), presence of embolism in the ECA, or severe heart failure. In cases of true CCA occlusion, thrombus was aspirated using the balloon guide catheter and good recanalization was obtained. Seven of 8 patients displayed favorable recanalization, with good prognosis after 90 days in 5 patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Poor CCA visualization on cervical MRA does not necessarily represent true CCA occlusion. Aspiration of thrombus from a balloon guide catheter is effective for true CCA occlusion.

The risk of misdiagnosis in acute thoracic aortic dissection: a review of current guidelines

Acute aortic syndrome and in particular aortic dissection (AAD) persists as a cause of significant morbidity and mortality despite improvements in surgical management. This clinical review aims to explore the risks of misdiagnosis, outcomes associated with misdiagnosis and evaluate current diagnostic methods for reducing its incidence.Due to the nature of the pathology, misdiagnosing the condition and delaying management can dramatically worsen patient outcomes. Several diagnostic challenges exist, including low prevalence, rapidly propagating pathology, non-discrete symptomatology, non-specific signs, analogy with other acute conditions and lack of management infrastructure. A similarity to acute coronary syndromes is a specific concern and risks patient maltreatment. AAD with malperfusion syndromes are both a cause of misdiagnosis and marker of disease complication, requiring specifically tailored management plans from the emergency setting.Despite improvements in diagnostic measures, including imaging modalities and biomarkers, misdiagnosis of AAD remains commonplace and current guidelines are relatively limited in preventing its occurrence. This paper recommends the early use of AAD risk scoring, focused echocardiography and most importantly, fast-tracking patients to cross-sectional imaging where the suspicion of AAD is high. This has the potential to improve the diagnostic process for AAD and limit the risk of misdiagnosis. However, our understanding remains limited by the lack of large patient datasets and an adequately audited processes of emergency department practice.

Cerebrovascular imaging of cerebral ischemia in acute type A aortic dissection

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Stanford type A aortic dissection (AAD) sometimes causes acute ischemic stroke (AIS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA). There is little understanding of cerebrovascular imaging of AIS or TIA in patients with AAD.

METHODS

Consecutive AIS/TIA patients with AAD who were admitted within 4.5 h of onset were reviewed. We compared findings of MRI/MRA between these and consecutive AIS/TIA patients without AAD within 4.5 h of onset.

RESULTS

Seventeen AAD and 249 non-AAD patients were identified. Compared to non-AAD patients, AAD patients had infarcts more frequently in the right anterior cerebral artery (ACA) territory (18% vs. 2%, P = 0.007) and the right middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory (71% vs. 29%, P < 0.001). There was no difference between the groups regarding whether it was perforator or cortical infarct, single or multiple infarcts, unilateral or bilateral infarcts, or ischemic change extension. On the MRA imaging, the AAD patients more frequently had poor visualization of the right internal carotid artery (ICA) (47% vs. 6%, P < 0.001). After adjustment for sex, age and confounding factors, the right ACA territory infarct [odds ratio (OR), 12.2; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.4-119.4], the MCA territory infarct (OR, 4.9; 95% CI, 1.0-25.0) and poor visualization of the right ICA (OR, 18.1; 95% CI, 4.0-101.9) were independently associated with AAD.

CONCLUSION

In emergency AIS/TIA patients, right anterior circulation infarct and poor visualization of the right ICA on cerebrovascular imaging are potential imaging markers of AAD.