Background: Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) has emerged as a useful biochemical marker reflecting the average glycemic control over the last 3 months, and the values are not affected by short-term transient changes in blood glucose levels. However, its prognostic value in the acute neurological conditions such as stroke is still not well-established. The present meta-analysis was conducted to assess the relationship of HbA1c with outcomes such as mortality, early neurological complications, and functional dependence in stroke patients.Methods: A systematic search was conducted for the PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases. Studies, either retrospective or prospective in design that examined the relationship between HbA1c with outcomes of interest and presented the strength of association in the form of adjusted odds ratio/hazard ratios were included in the review. Statistical analysis was done using STATA version 13.0.Results: A total of 22 studies (15 studies on acute ischemic stroke and seven studies on hemorrhagic stroke) were included in the meta-analysis. For patients with acute ischemic stroke, each unit increase in HbA1c was found to be associated with an increased risk of mortality within 1 year, increased risk of poor functional outcome at 3 months, and an increased risk of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) within 24 h of admission. In those with HbA1c ≥ 6.5%, there was an increased risk of mortality within 1 year of admission, increased risk of poor functional outcomes at 3 and 12 months as well as an increased risk of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) within 24 h of admission. In patients with hemorrhagic stroke, each unit increase in HbA1c was found to be associated with increased risk of poor functional outcome within the first 3 months from the time of admission for stroke. In those with HbA1c ≥ 6.5%, there was an increased risk of poor functional outcome at 12 months.Conclusions: The findings indicate that glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) could serve as a useful marker to predict the outcomes in patients with stroke and aid in the implementation of adequate preventive management strategies at the earliest.

Objective: Patent foramen ovale (PFO) has been regarded as a potential source of cryptogenic stroke, which was conventionally detected by transesophageal echocardiography. Cardiac computed tomography (CCT) is a promising, noninvasive test for detection of PFO. We sought to conduct a meta-analysis to evaluate the diagnostic performance of CCT in detecting PFO. Methods: PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Wanfang from inception to June 2020 were searched for relevant studies comparing CCT and transesophageal echocardiography as the reference standard in detecting PFO. A bivariate model was used to pool sensitivity and specificity and to construct summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves. Results: A total of seven studies with 483 patients were included in this meta-analysis. For the diagnosis of PFO, CCT had a mean sensitivity and specificity of 0.70 [95% CI:0.58, 0.79] and 0.97 [95% CI: 0.95, 0.99]. The SROC analysis showed an area under the curve of 0.97. Conclusion: CCT shows good diagnostic accuracy in detecting PFO with relatively high sensitivity and specificity. CCT could be considered a noninvasive alternative to transesophageal echocardiography for detecting PFO.

Spontaneous spinal epidural haematoma (SSEH) is a rare disease that requires emergency decompression or haematoma evacuation to prevent permanent neurological deficits. Hemiparesis is an extremely rare presentation of SSEH, commonly misdiagnosed as stroke. With the help of case studies and references, this paper comprehensively discusses the effective methods to distinguish SSEH from stroke and provides theoretical support and ideas for rapid and accurate identification of SSEH. Herein, we report on the case of a 51-year-old man with SSEH who presented with acute hemiparesis and posterior neck pain. Cervical computed tomography (CT) revealed cervical degeneration. A carotid CT angiogram revealed a high-density mass in the C2-C5 right posterolateral epidural region. Cervical spine magnetic resonance imaging showed SSEH. The patient was conservatively treated and discharged following a full recovery. Rapid identification of SSEH continues to present a great challenge for neurologists. A soft tissue CT scan can be used to quickly and accurately identify SSEH; however, in the absence of cranial signs, Brown-Sequard syndrome, Lhermitte's sign and Horner syndrome should be used to differentiate SSEH from stroke.

Background. Previous studies have reported inconsistent findings regarding the association between elevated plasma homocysteine (Hcy) levels and new antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). In this meta-analysis, we aimed to assess the effects of new AEDs on Hcy. Methods. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases were searched from inception to June 2022 for articles that focused on the effects of new AEDs on Hcy. A meta-analysis was performed using Stata 16.0 software. The results were presented as the mean difference (MD) and corresponding to 95% confidence intervals (CIs) comparing epileptic patients with new AEDs to the control subjects. Results. A total of 11 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Hcy was markedly increased in the new AEDs group compared with the control group (MD = 2.220, 95% CI: 0.596–3.844, P = 0.007 ), with a high degree of heterogeneity (I2 = 99.5%). In the drugs subgroup, the oxcarbazepine (OXC) (MD = 2.30, 95% CI: −1.11–5.72, P = 0.187 ) and lamotrigine (LTG) (MD = 1.14, 95% CI: −0.209–2.482, P < 0.001 ) groups had no significant differences when compared with the control group. The levetiracetam (LEV) (MD = 1.81, 95% CI: 1.03–2.18, P < 0.001 ) and topiramate (TPM) (MD = 6.922, 95% CI: 0.788–13.055, P = 0.027 ) groups were significantly higher than the control group. Conclusions. The new AEDs, especially TPM and LEV, may increase the plasma of Hcy. The role of Hcy in patients with epilepsy who are given TPM and LEV should not be ignored in clinical situations. Patients with epilepsy who also have a high-risk vascular profile are recommended to use OXC and LTG.