The inflammatory markers and prognosis of cervicocephalic artery dissection: a stroke center study from a tertiary hospital

• Published in: Neurological sciences 2020-12, Vol.41 (12), p.3741-3745
• Main Authors: Senadim, Songul, Çoban, Eda, Tekin, Betül, Balcik, Zeynep Ezgi, Köksal, Ayhan, Soysal, Aysun, Ataklı, Dilek
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Arteries; C-reactive protein; Dissection; Erythrocyte sedimentation rate; Female; Humans; Inflammation; Ischemia; Lymphocyte Count; Lymphocytes; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Neurology; Neuroradiology; Neurosciences; Neurosurgery; Neutrophils; Original Article; Patients; Platelet Count; Prognosis; Psychiatry; Retrospective Studies; Stroke; Stroke - diagnosis; Tertiary Care Centers; Young Adult; Young adults
• ISSN: 1590-1874; 1590-3478
• DOI: 10.1007/s10072-020-04699-6

Objective Cervicocephalic artery dissection (CeAD) is the most common cause of ischemic stroke in young adults. Although the exact cause is unknown, inflammation is thought to have a role. Here, we investigated the relationship between CeAD and inflammation. Methods Patients diagnosed with CeAD in our stroke center were evaluated retrospectively, and their demographic and clinical features were recorded. The C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), white blood cell, neutrophil and lymphocyte counts, platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were recorded on admission. Modified Rankin scores (mRS) were noted on admission and at 6 months to evaluate the dependency status and functional outcome of each patient. Results Of the 95 patients in the study, 70 (73.7%) were male, and the mean age was 44.4 ± 9.8 years. Patients with high WBC count, ESR, PLR, and NLR frequently had mRS scores of 3–6 at admission; these differences were significant ( p = 0.04, p = 0.02, p = 0.04, and p = 0.02, respectively). At 6 months, patients with high CRP and ESR at admission also had significantly poorer prognoses ( p < 0.001, p = 0.002, respectively). PLR and NLR values were higher in patients with mRS of 3–6. But there were no significant differences between the good and poor prognosis groups regarding PLR and NLR ( p = 0.22, p = 0.05, respectively). Conclusion Inflammation may have a role in the prognosis of CeAD, and inflammatory markers can be evaluated as auxiliary tests for determining prognosis.