Acute ischemic strokes (AIS) and hemorrhagic strokes lead to disabling neuropsychiatric and cognitive deficits. A serious and fatal complication of AIS is the occurrence of hemorrhagic transformation (HT). HT is cerebral bleeding that occurs after an ischemic event in the infarcted areas. This review summarises how specific risk factors such as demographic factors like age, gender, and race/ethnicity, comorbidities including essential hypertension, atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus, congestive heart failure, and ischemic heart disease along with predictors like higher NIHSS score, larger infarction size, cardioembolic strokes, systolic blood pressure/pulse pressure variability, higher plasma glucose levels, and higher body temperature during ischemic event, lower low-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol, early ischemic changes on imaging modalities, and some rare causes make an individual more susceptible to developing HT. We also discuss few other risk factors such as the role of blood-brain barrier, increased arterial stiffness, and globulin levels in patients postreperfusion using thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy. In addition, we discuss the implications of dual antiplatelet therapy and the length of treatment in reference to the incidence of developing HT. Current research into inflammatory mediators and biomarkers such as Cyclooxygenase-2, matrix metalloproteinases, and soluble ST2 and their potential role as treatment options for HT is also briefly discussed. Finally, this review calls for more research into use of dual antiplatelet and the timing of antiplatelet and anticoagulant use in reference to hemorrhagic transformation.

Transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasonography is a non-invasive ultrasound technique that uses highfrequency sound waves to measure blood flow velocities in the cerebral vasculature. This review analyzes TCD research in the Caribbean region using a bibliometric analysis of 29 articles from PubMed. The articles were analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2016 and the VOSviewer software (Van Eck and Waltman, Leiden University, Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS), www.vosviewer.com) and characterized various aspects of TCD research, including countries, research themes, authorship, journals, affiliations, and keywords. The majority of the 29 publications came from Cuba (38%), followed by the French West Indies (22%) and Jamaica (20%). Most TCD research focused on sickle cell disease (SCD), accounting for 45% of the studies, followed by 21% of articles on vasospasm and subarachnoid hemorrhage. The use of TCD in brain death and neuro-intensive care was also explored, constituting 17% of the studies. Alternative TCDmonitored treatment options for SCD, such as stem cell transplantation and hydroxyurea, were also frequently investigated. The most productive institutions were Hospital Clínico-Quirúrgico Hermanos Ameijeiras in Havana, Cuba, the Sickle Cell Unit at the University of West Indies (UWI) Mona in Jamaica, the Medical-Surgical Research Center (CIMEQ) in Havana, Cuba, and the SCD Reference Center in Guadeloupe and Martinique in the French West Indies. TCD has been identified as a cost-effective tool for real-time monitoring of cerebral blood flow in many clinical settings, including stroke and SCD, which are prevalent in the Caribbean. Although there is an increase in the trend of using TCD for neuromonitoring in the Caribbean, gaps still exist. Capacity-building initiatives, such as training programs for healthcare providers and the development of local TCD research networks, can improve access to TCD in resource-constrained settings to treat and neuromonitor patients cost-effectively.

Breast lumps are a common cause of concern in both young and older women throughout the world. Fine needle aspiration of breast lesions is an important and widely practiced method of providing a preoperative diagnosis in women presenting with a lump in the breast. Cell blocks that are made from the aspirates help in preserving the architecture, and the nuclear morphology and help in preserving the material for immunohistochemical studies. The present study aims to highlight the role of FNAC and cell block in the diagnosis of breast lesions. This was a two-year prospective study of 72 patients presenting with palpable breast lesions referred for FNAC to the Department of Pathology JJMMC, Davangere from 1st July 2015 to 30th June 2017. After a detailed history, general physical & local examination, informed consent was taken and FNAC was performed under aseptic precautions. A part of the aspirate was fixed, then processed as cell blocks, and stained with H&E. Wherever lumpectomy or radical surgery was performed the histopathology was correlated with cytomorphological findings.: The present study showed a diagnostic accuracy of 85.71% in the FNAC diagnosis. The sensitivity and specificity of FNAC in diagnosing breast lesions were found to be 82.60% and 87.23%. PPV and NPV were 76% and 91.11% respectively. When cell blocks were used the diagnostic accuracy increased to 88.57%. Diagnosis by using cell block showed a sensitivity of 79% specificity of 93.47%, PPV of 86.36%, and NPV of 89.58%.: From the results of our study, it can be concluded that the accuracy of diagnosing breast lesions preoperatively can be increased when FNAC is combined with the cell blocks from the aspirates. The cell blocks also help to preserve the aspirated material for future reference and immunohistochemistry can also be applied for a more accurate diagnosis.