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Locked in or Break Out?

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Stroke Medicine

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Abstract

Basilar artery occlusion accounts for approximately 1 % of all strokes and is a neurological emergency associated with a very poor outcome. The associated mortality is up to 90 %. Basilar artery occlusion can initially present with mild prodromal symptoms however this is usually followed by more devastating symptoms including quadriparesis, reduced consciousness, cranial nerve and visual symptoms, dysarthria, dysphagia and ‘locked-in syndrome’. These cases are challenging because there is limited evidence to guide physicians in their management decisions. However, successful recanalization is associated with better results and increasing numbers of patients are surviving with antithrombotic therapy, thrombolysis and endovascular techniques.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Stroke Research Group, Department of Brain Repair and Rehabilitation, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK

    Fiona Kennedy MB, Bch, BAO, MRCP (UK)

Authors
  1. Fiona Kennedy MB, Bch, BAO, MRCP (UK)
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Correspondence to Fiona Kennedy MB, Bch, BAO, MRCP (UK) .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. UCL Institute of Neurology Education Unit, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, United Kingdom

    S.K. Gill

  2. Brain Repair & Rehabilitation, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom

    M.M. Brown

  3. Lysholm Dept of Neuroradiology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, United Kingdom

    F. Robertson

  4. Department of Stroke, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, United Kingdom

    N. Losseff

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© 2015 Springer-Verlag London

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Kennedy, F. (2015). Locked in or Break Out?. In: Gill, S., Brown, M., Robertson, F., Losseff, N. (eds) Stroke Medicine. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-6705-1_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-6705-1_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-6704-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-6705-1

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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