BackgroundDisturbed serum calcium levels are related to the risk of stroke. However, previous studies exploring the correlation between serum calcium and the clinical outcome of ischemic stroke (IS) have shown inconsistent results.ObjectThe study aimed to investigate the relationship between admission serum calcium and 30-day mortality in patients with IS.MethodsA total of 876 IS patients from a Norwegian retrospective cohort were included for secondary analysis. The exposure variable and the primary outcome were albumin-corrected serum calcium (ACSC) at baseline and all-cause mortality within 30 days after the first admission, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the risk of 30-day mortality according to ACSC levels. Moreover, the potential presence of a non-linear relationship was evaluated using two-piecewise linear regression with a smoothing function and threshold level analysis. The stability of the results was evaluated by unadjusted and adjusted models.ResultsThe result of multiple regression analysis showed that ACSC at baseline was positively associated with the incidence of 30-day mortality after adjusting for the potential confounders (age, gender, serum glucose, hypertension, atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter, renal insufficiency, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia, paralysis, and aphasia) (OR = 2.43, 95% CI 1.43–4.12). When ACSC was translated into a categorical variable, the ORs and 95% CIs in the second to the fourth quartile vs. the first quartile were 1.23 (0.56, 2.69), 1.16 (0.51, 2.65), and 2.13 (1.04, 4.38), respectively (P for trend = 0.03). Moreover, the results of two-piecewise linear regression and curve-fitting revealed a linear relationship between ACSC and 30-day mortality.ConclusionACSC is positively associated with 30-day mortality in IS patients, and the relationship between them is linear.

High serum glucose to potassium ratio (GPR) at admission is implicated for a poor outcome in acute brain injury, acute intracranial hemorrhage, and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. However, the relationship between GPR and the outcome of ischemic stroke (IS) remains unknown. In all, 784 IS patients from a large emergency Norwegian cohort were included for secondary analysis. The exposure and outcome were GPR at baseline and all-cause mortality within 30 days after the first admission. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the risk of 30-day mortality based on GPR levels. In addition, we examined whether there was a nonlinear relationship between admission GPR and 30-day mortality using two-piecewise linear regression with a smoothing function and threshold level analysis. The results of multivariable regression analysis showed that GPR at baseline was positively associated with the 30-day mortality (OR 2.01, 95% CI 1.12, 3.61) after adjusting for potential confounders (age, gender, department, serum sodium, serum albumin, serum-magnesium, hypertension, heart failure, chronic renal failure, and pneumonia). When GPR was translated to a categorical variable, the ORs and 95% CIs in the tertiles 2 to 3 versus the tertile 1 were 1.24 (0.60, 2.56) and 2.15 (1.09, 4.24), respectively (P for trend = 0.0188). Moreover, the results of the two-piecewise linear regression and curve fitting revealed a linear relationship between GPR and 30-day mortality. In IS patients, GPR is positively correlated with 30-day mortality, and the relationship between them is linear. The GPR at admission may be a promising predictor for the short-term outcome in IS patients.

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BackgroundSilent MR angiography (silent MRA) is a new generation of non-contrast enhanced angiography with outstanding advantages in visualizing cerebrovascular lesions and the follow-up after endovascular treatment for intracranial aneurysms (IAs). This study aims to investigate the reliability of silent MRA-based three-dimensional (3D) geometric description and hemodynamic calculation of IAs.Methods19 patients with 23 unruptured IAs, who underwent both silent MRA and 3D rotational angiography (3DRA), were included in this study. Computational fluid dynamics simulations were performed on all patient-specific 3D reconstruction images to compare the morphology and hemodynamics of the two different imaging models for IAs.ResultsSilent MRA models had smaller maximum and perpendicular height (mm), aneurysmal surface area (mm2), and aneurysmal volume (mm3) than 3DRA (p<0.05); the differences of the above parameters between the two models were 9.0±6.2%, 7.7±7.4%, 15.9±13.0%, and 21.4±17.5%, respectively. However, correlation analysis of morphological parameters in various dimensions and model comparison showed good overall consistency in geometrical characteristics between the two models. Moderate coherence was observed between models in time-averaged wall shear stress of aneurysm and parent vessel (TAWSS, PAWSS), aneurysm velocity (AV), parent vessel velocity, and oscillatory shear index (OSI). However, strong correlations were observed among normalized aneurysm wall shear stress (NWSS), low shear area (LSA), inflow concentration index (ICI), and normalized aneurysm velocity (NAV).ConclusionBoth morphological and hemodynamic assessments of IAs for silent MRA are comparable to 3DRA. Additionally, normalized indicators such as NWSS, LSA, ICI, and NAV were better than TAWSS, AV, and OSI in silent MRA-related hemodynamic evaluation.

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Background: Anterior axis-atlanto-occipital transarticular fixation (AAOF) and anterior atlanto-axial transarticular fixation (AAF) are two common anterior screw fixation techniques after odontoidectomy, but the biomechanical discrepancies between them remain unknown.Objectives: To investigate the biomechanical properties of craniovertebral junction (CVJ) after odontoidectomy, with AAOF or AAF.Methods: A validated finite element model of the intact occipital-cervical spine (from occiput to T1) was modified to investigate biomechanical changes, resulting from odontoidectomy, odontoidectomy with AAOF, and odontoidectomy with AAF.Results: After odontoidectomy, the range of motion (ROM) at C1-C2 increased in all loading directions, and the ROM at the Occiput-C1 elevated by 66.2%, 57.5%, and 41.7% in extension, lateral bending, and torsion, respectively. For fixation models, the ROM at the C1-C2 junction was observably reduced after odontoidectomy with AAOF and odontoidectomy with AAF. In addition, at the Occiput-C1, the ROM of odontoidectomy with AAOF model was notably lower than the normal model in extension (94.9%), flexion (97.6%), lateral bending (91.8%), and torsion (96.4%). But compared with the normal model, in the odontoidectomy with AAF model, the ROM of the Occiput-C1 increased by 52.2%, −0.1%, 92.1%, and 34.2% in extension, lateral bending, and torsion, respectively. Moreover, there were no distinctive differences in the stress at the screw-bone interface or the C2-C3 intervertebral disc between the two fixation systems.Conclusion: AAOF can maintain CVJ stability at the Occiput-C1 after odontoidectomy, but AAF cannot. Thus, for patients with pre-existing atlanto-occipital joint instability, AAOF is more suitable than AAF in the choice of anterior fixation techniques.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Few studies have reported the utility of high-resolution vessel wall MR imaging in the follow-up of endovascularly treated vertebrobasilar dissecting aneurysms. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of high-resolution vessel wall MR imaging combined with TOF-MRA in the follow-up of intracranial vertebrobasilar dissecting aneurysms after reconstructive endovascular treatment.