Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia
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Spinal subdural haematoma is a rare entity. Only a few cases have been reported, mainly in patients with coagulopathies or bleeding diathesis, and also in patients undergoing anticoagulant therapy following surgery, trauma, or lumbar puncture. Symptoms of spinal cord compression produced by spinal subdural haematoma may progress rapidly causing complete and irreversible deficits. ⋯ She was discharged to an inpatient rehabilitation facility. Follow-up at 1 year showed significant improvement in motor function, but absence of posterior column function. A follow-up magnetic resonance study demonstrated widening of the spinal cord, advanced myelomalacia and a large, central, multi-loculated syrinx.
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Cerebral vasospasm is increasingly recognized as contributing to ischaemia after head injury. The reported incidence of post-traumatic vasospasm (PTV) varies between 10% and 90%, probably largely because of differences in patient selection, in definitions of vasospasm and in methods of detecting spasm. In severe head injury, based on studies with similar criteria, the incidence is approximately 40%. ⋯ There is evidence that calcium antagonists improve outcome in patients with head injury and tSAH; aminosteroids may also be effective here. Other strategies such as maintaining normocapnia and control of blood volume and pressure may also be useful. Further investigation of large cohorts is required to clarify fully the significance of PTV, its relationship with tSAH and outcome and possible treatment modalities.
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The authors report a 50-year-old man with a ruptured large carotid-ophthalmic aneurysm on the right side and an unruptured anterior communicating artery (A Com) aneurysm. The A Comm aneurysm was clipped and the carotid-ophthalmic aneurysm was managed by combining internal carotid artery (ICA) trapping with an interposed radial artery graft from the external carotid artery (ECA) to the middle cerebral artery (MCA). ⋯ Postoperative vertebral angiography showed the right ophthalmic artery to be fed by the posterior communicating artery. It is speculated that collateral circulation from the angular artery of the ECA to the ophthalmic artery did not develop because of high flow graft from the ECA to MCA and ICA trapping.