1/14. rupture of a large ophthalmic segment saccular aneurysm associated with closed head injury: case report.OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Although each year approximately 30,000 to 50,000 cases of subarachnoid hemorrhage in the united states are caused by the rupture of intracranial saccular aneurysms, there is little information in the literature documenting the association of aneurysmal rupture with closed head injury. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 61-year-old woman presented after a motor vehicle accident with multiple injuries, including a severe closed head injury. Computed tomography revealed a diffuse basal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Angiography revealed the source as a large aneurysm arising from the ophthalmic segment of the left carotid artery. INTERVENTION: After the patient was stabilized for her multiple injuries, she underwent craniotomy and clipping of the aneurysm. She recovered without developing new neurological deficits. CONCLUSION: Although the association of head trauma and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage is rare, the presence of significant basal subarachnoid blood on a computed tomographic scan should alert the physician to the possibility of a ruptured aneurysm.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/14. Pseudo-subarachnoid hemorrhage of the head diagnosed by computerized axial tomography: a postmortem study of ten medical examiner cases.In this report, we describe ten cases of pseudo-subarachnoid hemorrhage on computer axial tomography (CT) scan of the head. A pseudo-subarachnoid hemorrhage is a false positive finding by CT of the head in which the scan is interpreted as being positive for a subarachnoid hemorrhage not substantiated by subsequent neuropathologic findings. This study is a retrospective review of postmortem cases brought into the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the State of maryland over a three-year period (from 1997 to 2000). We compared the clinician's impression of the CT scan with the postmortem neuropathology. The clinical diagnosis of subarachnoid hemorrhage was based on misinterpretation of non-contrast CT scans of the head. In six of the ten cases, the reading was performed by a radiologist and in four cases by nonradiologist physicians (emergency room physician, neurologist, or neurosurgeon). All the patients survived between a few hours to a few days after being admitted to the hospital. For most of the cases (80%), the neuropathology showed hypoxic/ischemic encephalopathy. The most common cause of death (four out of ten cases) was narcotic intoxication. This report is submitted so that clinicians and pathologist become more familiar with this entity.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/14. Cerebral angiographic findings of spontaneous intracranial hypotension.We report a case of spontaneous intracranial hypotension that underwent cerebral angiography. The angiogram showed prominence of the veins and venous phase of the angiogram. This is thought to be secondary to decreased intracranial pressure and subsequent dilation of the venous system to attempt to replace the lost intracranial CSF volume. In situations in which the typical clinical presentation is not present and additional examinations such as cerebral angiography are performed, these findings may be helpful to direct the physicians involved toward the correct diagnosis.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/14. Cerebral arterial fenestrations associated with intracranial saccular aneurysms.Fenestrations of cerebral arteries other than the anterior communicating artery are rare congenital anomalies, which may be associated with saccular aneurysms. In such cases, the aneurysms may be located at the fenestration itself or may involve other intracranial vessels. This kind of association is not infrequently the cause of angiographic diagnostic problems, as well as surgical difficulties, and consequently needs to be well known to physicians. Four recent cases of rare fenestrations of cerebral arteries associated with intracranial aneurysms are reported in this study and discussed together with a review of the literature.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/14. Diagnostic pitfall of computed tomography in patients with superficial siderosis of the central nervous system.Superficial siderosis of the central nervous system (SSCN) is a well-described entity with distinct clinical presentation as well as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. However, it is critical that when a patient previously diagnosed with SSCN undergoes CT on the brain at a later date, that this scan not be misinterpreted as a new subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) so unecessary repeated angiograms are not performed. This report describes such a situation and discusses unique CT findings in SSCN that have been under-recognized and under-emphasized. While conditions such as SAH should not be ruled out, they would be considered atypical. Combined with an adequate prior diagnostic testing history, physicians should proceed to MRI without subjecting the patient to repeat angiography.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/14. An unusual case of proctalgia.We report the case of a 21-year-old man with the sudden onset of severe proctalgia followed by headaches and fever. The patient had a lumbar puncture consistent with subarachnoid hemorrhage. After a normal four-vessel cerebral arteriogram, a myelogram and computed tomography scan of the spine were performed and revealed a mass lesion of the L1 level. Pathologic evaluation after resection of the mass resulted in a diagnosis of hemorrhage from a myxopapillary ependymoma. These relatively benign tumors of the cauda equina-filum terminale respond well to treatment. The differential diagnosis of proctalgia is reviewed, and the need for emergency physicians to consider spinal subarachnoid hemorrhage when a patient presents with the acute onset of rectal pain is emphasized.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/14. phenylpropanolamine: an over-the-counter drug causing central nervous system vasculitis and intracerebral hemorrhage. Case report and review.phenylpropanolamine (PPA) is the major ingredient in more than 70 over-the-counter preparations including diet pills, nasal decongestants, and the legal "look-alike" stimulants. Structurally and functionally similar to amphetamine and ephedrine, PPA has recently been associated with several neurological manifestations including psychosis, stroke, severe headache, seizures, and intracerebral hematoma. We report a case of intracerebral hematoma and subarachnoid hemorrhage in a young woman with angiographic and biopsy-proven vasculitis of the central nervous system (CNS) induced by PPA in her diet pills. From review of the literature, we distinguish drug-induced vasculitis as a separate entity from primary CNS vasculitis, both clinically and pathologically. This report should alert physicians, in general, to this potentially fatal side effect of PPA, a commonly used over-the-counter drug. Also, neurosurgeons in particular should consider the possibility of drug-induced vasculitis when faced with cases of intracerebral or subarachnoid hemorrhage without apparent cause.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/14. Bloody cerebrospinal fluid: traumatic tap or child abuse?A central nervous system dysfunction of nontraumatic etiology was initially suspected in three cases of shaken baby syndrome. blood contaminating the cerebrospinal fluid was attributed to a traumatic lumbar puncture. Failure to detect retinal hemorrhages contributed to the misdiagnosis. Emergency physicians must consider the diagnosis of shaken baby syndrome in a critically ill infant with bloody cerebrospinal fluid. ophthalmoscopy should be done routinely in these patients.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/14. cerebrovascular disorders associated with pregnancy.stroke is a leading cause of maternal death. Intracerebral hemorrhage may be associated with eclampsia, metastatic choriocarcinoma or ruptured arteriovenous malformations. Intracranial venous thrombosis may result from a hypercoagulable state or local intracranial vascular damage. subarachnoid hemorrhage is usually caused by the rupture of an intracranial aneurysm or arteriovenous malformation. signs and symptoms of stroke in pregnancy can be confusing. The physician must be aware of these signs to avoid mismanagement of the pregnant stroke patient.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/14. The warning leak in subarachnoid hemorrhage and the importance of its early diagnosis.A 40-year-old man had a severe headache of sudden onset and progressive palsy of the third cranial nerve from a minor subarachnoid hemorrhage. Despite assessment by two primary care physicians the possibility of serious neurologic disease was not raised and the urgency of the situation not appreciated. Two weeks after the onset of the headache the patient was urgently admitted to hospital at the request of a neuro-ophthalmologist. cerebral angiography revealed an aneurysm of the posterior communicating artery, which was surgically occluded with a clip. The patient had a satisfactory recovery, with almost complete return of nerve function by the time of discharge from hospital. Such "warning leaks" in subarachnoid hemorrhage are discussed, and a protocol for their assessment is recommended.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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