Prediction of early clinical severity and extent of neuronal damage in anterior-circulation infarction using the initial serum neuron-specific enolase level.

Abstract

STROKE IS THE SECOND leading cause of death in South Korea,¹ and most survivors contend with the aftermath of serious functional disability in their daily living. It is important to promptly determine and predict the extent of neuronal damage before treatment of acute cerebral infarction. The assessment of the extent of neuronal damage depends on the type of neuroimaging performed (eg, magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]). The lesion volume by neuroimaging correlates with the clinical neurological deficits, especially in patients with anterior-circulation infarction as shown in previous studies.^2,3 However, there are some limitations to an MRI evaluation of a patient who has an acute cerebral infarction—the need for the patient to cooperate during the neuroimaging and the inability of a patient with unstable vital signs to cooperate.