Browsing by Author "Raičević, Ranko (7007036037)"

Introduction. Fast and precise diagnostics of the disease from the large group of adult leukoencephalopathy is difficult but responsible job, because the outcome of the disease is very often determined by its name. Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is caused by the mutation of Notch 3 gene on chromosome locus 19p13. Beside the brain arterioles being the main disease targets, extracerebral small blood vessels are affected by the pathological process. Clinically present signs are recurrent ischemic strokes and vascular dementia. CADASIL in its progressive form shows a distinctive pattern of pathological changes on MRI of endocranium. The diagnosis is confirmed by the presence of granular osmiophilic material (GOM) in histopathological skin biopsies. Case reports. Two young adult patients manifested ischemic strokes of unknown etiology, cognitive deterioration, migraine and psychopathological phenomenology. MRI of endocranium pointed on CADASIL. Ultrastructural examination of skin biopsy proved the presence of GOM in the basal lamina and near smooth muscle cells of arteriole dermis leading to CADASIL diagnosis. The presence of GOM in histopathological preparation is 100% specific for CADASIL. The patients were not searched for mutation in Notch 3 gene on chromosome 19, because some other leukoencephalopathy was disregarded. Conclusion. Suggestive clinical picture, distinctive finding of endocranium MRI, the presence of GOM by ultrastructural examination of histopathological skin biopsies are sufficient to confirm CADASIL diagnosis.

Background/Aim. Disruption of cerebral venous blood drainage leads to cerebral venous congestion, an increase in intracranial pressure and decrease of the cerebral perfusion pressure. The exact role of the cerebral venous circulation in acute stroke is not yet known. The main blood drainage from the brain and the superficial parts of the face and neck is drained by a paired internal jugular vein (IJV). Congenital anomalies of IJV may disrupt the blood collection from the brain, which leads to congestion of the cerebral venous circulation. The aim of our study was to determine the association between the hypoplastic ipsilateral IJV and clinical outcome of patients with acute ischemic anterior circulation stroke. Methods. This prospective case series study involved the patients with the anterior circulation stroke and ultrasonographic criteria for unilateral hypoplasia of the ipsilateral IJV. Data from the 74 consecutive patients with acute anterior circulation stroke admitted to the Special Hospital for Cerebrovascular Diseases “Sveti Sava”, Belgrade, from September 2015 to January 2016 were included. Ultrasonography of IJV diameter and the collection of the hemodynamic data were performed in all patients. Neurological deficits on admission were evaluated using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score. The clinical outcome was assessed using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score (from 0 to 6) at 30 days or at discharge, whichever occurred sooner. Good and poor outcomes were defined as an mRS score of 0–2 and 3–6, respectively. Results. Ipsilateral hypoplastic IJV was diagnosed in 13 (17.6%) patients with anterior circulation stroke. In this group, 9 stroke patients (69.2%) had mRS ≥ 3. Of the remaining 4 patients with mRS ≤ 2, three had bilateral hypoplasia of IJV and one patient had smaller diameter of the IJV, but did not fulfill the ultrasonographic criteria for hypoplastic venous anomaly. Conclusions. In our case, a series of the patients with anterior circulation stroke with ultrasonographic criteria for unilateral hypoplasia of the ipsilateral IJV (on stroke side) have worse clinical outcome compared with the patients with bilateral hypoplasia. © 2019, Inst. Sci. inf., Univ. Defence in Belgrade. All rights reserved.

Hemiballism is a relatively rare hyperkinetic disorder with unknown incidence. Stroke is the most common cause of hemiballism (vascular hemiballism), responsible for the disorder in 50% to 100% of cases. We studied the incidence of vascular hemiballism in the population of Belgrade (Serbia) 40 years of age or older during the period 1 January 1991 to 31 December 2002. During that time period, 37 patients with hemiballism due to stroke were diagnosed. The annual incidence rates varied from 0.14 to 0.87/100,000 (average 0.45/100,000) of general population. © 2004 Movement Disorder Society.

Hemiballism is a relatively rare hyperkinetic disorder with unknown incidence. Stroke is the most common cause of hemiballism (vascular hemiballism), responsible for the disorder in 50% to 100% of cases. We studied the incidence of vascular hemiballism in the population of Belgrade (Serbia) 40 years of age or older during the period 1 January 1991 to 31 December 2002. During that time period, 37 patients with hemiballism due to stroke were diagnosed. The annual incidence rates varied from 0.14 to 0.87/100,000 (average 0.45/100,000) of general population. © 2004 Movement Disorder Society.

Background/Aim. Due to the fact that there is a relatively small number of data related to systemic insulin abnormalities in the multiple sclerosis (MS), the main objective of our study was to determine whether a dysbalance of glucose and insulin metabolism exist in patients with natural course of MS. Our hypothesis was that the metabolic disorder that characterizes state of the insulin resistance (IR) and reduced insulin sensitivity (IS) in untreated patients with MS could play a role in disease progression and degree of functional disability. Methods. The study included 31 patients with relapsing-remitting (RR) MS and 14 healthy controls from the same geographic area matched by age, ethnicity and number of smokers. The glucose tolerance, IS, and IR were examined using an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and using basal plasma glucose and insulin levels. The functional disability and disease progression were evaluated by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and Multiple Sclerosis Severity Score (MSSS). Results. The MS patients tolerated glucose equally well as the healthy controls. Basal concentrations of insulin were significantly higher in the MS group (p < 0.05), as well as insulin plasma level 30 min after oral glucose load (p < 0.01). The patients with MS had significantly higher values of homeostasis model assessment indexes of IR (HOMA-IR) (p = 0.027; p = 0.028). The percentage of IS (HOMA2 %S) and whole body IS index (ISI Matsuda) showed significantly lower values in the MS patients than in the controls (p = 0.005; p = 0.001). The insulinogenic index in the first 30 min of OGTT was significantly higher in MS patients (p = 0.005). The measures of functional disability and MS progression did not correlate significantly with the investigated parameters of IR and IS indexes. Conclusion. This study demonstrates for the first time the existence of hyperinsulinemia, reduced insulin sensitivity and normal glucose tolerance that indicate the initial phase of IR in the natural course of MS. Additional research is necessary in order to define the mechanisms of occurrence and the impact of IR on the complex pathophysiological processes in MS. © 2017, Institut za Vojnomedicinske Naucne Informacije/Documentaciju. All rights reserved.

Background/Aim. Diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) is a very frequent and progressive disease that severely impairs the overall quality of life, accompanied by a high rate of disability. For these reasons, the testing of therapeutic agents for this disease is increasing. Methods. We tested the most frequently used drugs for diabetic neuropathy in our area, along with electrophysiological monitoring in order to avoid subjectivity and the “placebo effect”. A total of 120 patients were divided into four groups: three groups who received alpha-lipoic acid, benfotiamine or gabapentin respectively, and the control group who did not receive any treatment. In all the patients we analyzed motor conduction velocity, distal latency, sensory conduction velocity, F wave and F wave chronodispersion before and after treatment with each drug. Results. It is evident that some drugs had a favorable impact on the condition of the peripheral nerves. Alpha-lipoic acid and benfotiamine had an impact on the recovery of the nerve, i.e. pathophysiological processes, whereas gabapentin had no impact on the recovery, similarly to the control group without any treatment. Electrophysiological indicators had different sensitivity to detect conditions of the peripheral neurons. The best effect, in terms of increased sensory conduction velocity, had the patients treated with alpha-lipoic acid. Conclusion. The effect of alpha-lipoic acid and benfotiamine on the condition of peripheral nerve was evident. The failure of recovery, i.e. deterioration of electrophysiological parameters in patients who did not receive neuroprotective therapy suggests the need of permanent medication and periodic electrophysiological monitoring of patients with diabetic polyneuropathy. © 2017, Institut za Vojnomedicinske Naucne Informacije/Documentaciju. All rights reserved.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to estimate the prevalence of different subtypes of idiopathic focal dystonia in the population of Belgrade (Serbia), Yugoslavia. On December 31, 2001, the crude prevalence of all studied types of dystonia (focal, segmental, and multifocal) in Belgrade was 13.6 per 100,000 population (11.8 per 100,000 for men and 15.2 per 100,000 for women). Type-specific prevalence for focal dystonia was 11.2 per 100,000. The prevalence for cervical dystonia, blepharospasm, writer's cramp and laryngeal dystonia were 5.9 per 100,000, 1.9 per 100,000, 1.9 per 100,000, and 1.1 per 100,000, respectively. © 2003 Movement Disorder Society.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to estimate the prevalence of different subtypes of idiopathic focal dystonia in the population of Belgrade (Serbia), Yugoslavia. On December 31, 2001, the crude prevalence of all studied types of dystonia (focal, segmental, and multifocal) in Belgrade was 13.6 per 100,000 population (11.8 per 100,000 for men and 15.2 per 100,000 for women). Type-specific prevalence for focal dystonia was 11.2 per 100,000. The prevalence for cervical dystonia, blepharospasm, writer's cramp and laryngeal dystonia were 5.9 per 100,000, 1.9 per 100,000, 1.9 per 100,000, and 1.1 per 100,000, respectively. © 2003 Movement Disorder Society.

Introduction. Pulmonary arteriovenous malformation (PAVM) is pathological communication between pulmonary artery and pulmonary vein, in way that it shunts normal alveolar capillary membrane resulting in inadequate blood oxygenation in this part of the lung parenchyma Modern therapy of PAVMs includes surgical treatment or endovascular embolization. Case report. A 30-year-old female patient had signs of parestesia and weakness of the extremities on the left side of her body. On physical examination there was only cyanotic discoloration of her lips and clubbing fingers. On the chest x-ray, in the right hemithorax, in the inferior region of the lung, there was relatively homogeneous and well defined shadow, intensity of the soft tissue, which was about 35 mm. A multislice computed tomography pulmonary angiography was performed and showed, in lung parenchyma on both sides, many PAVMs, of which the largest (35 mm) was in inferior right region of the lung on crossing between apical and posterior basal lung segment with 7 mm diameter feeding artery and 9 mm diameter draining vein. The selective pulmonary angiography was performed by Seldingers technique. Through sheath, we placed a plug with a diameter of 10 mm. The plug was expanded and a complete occlusion of the final part of the feeding branch of this PAVM was achieved (confirmed by control angiography). In that way, the PAVM was fully shut off from the circulation. In 3 months follow-up, the patient was feeling well, without any recorded complication. Conclusion. Endovascular embolization is recommended as therapy of the first choice for all of PAVMs that have feeding artery greater than 2 mm. Endovascular embolization has high success rate with minimal complications. © 2021 Inst. Sci. inf., Univ. Defence in Belgrade. All rights reserved.

[No abstract available]

Introduction. Acute aortic dissection (AD) is the most common life-threatening disorder affecting the aorta. Neurological symptoms are present in 17–40% of cases. The management of these patients is controversial. Case report. We presented a 37-year-old man admitted for complaining of left-sided weakness. Symptoms appeared two hours before admission. The patient had no headache, neither thoracic pain. Neurological examination showed mild confusion, left-sided hemiplegia, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score was 10. Ischemic stroke was suspected, brain multislice computed tomography (MSCT) and angiography were performed and right intrapetrous internal carotid artery dissection noted. Subsequent color Doppler ultrasound of the carotid arteries showed dissection of the right common carotid artery (CCA). The patient underwent thoracic and abdominal MSCT aortography which showed ascending aortic dissection from the aortic root, propagating in the brachiocephalic artery and the right CCA. Digital subtraction angiography was performed subsequently and two stents were successfully implanted in the brachiocephalic artery and the right CCA prior to cardiac surgery, only 6 hours after admission. The ascending aorta was reconstructed with graft interposition and the aortic valve resuspended. The patient was hemodynamically stable and with no neurologic deficit after surgery. Unfortinately, at the operative day 6, mediastinitis developed and after intensive treatment the patients died 35 days after admission. Conclusion. In young patients with suspected stroke and oscillatory neurological impairment urgent MSCT angiography of the brain and neck and/or Doppler sonography of the carotid and vertebral artery are mandatory to exclude carotid and aortic dissection. The prompt diagnosis permits urgent carotid stenting and cardiosurgery. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first published case of immediate carotid stenting in acute ischemic stroke after the diagnosis of carotid and aortic dissection and prior to cardiac surgery. © 2016, Institut za Vojnomedicinske Naucne Informacije/Documentaciju. All rights reserved.