Neurologia medico-chirurgica
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Neurol. Med. Chir. (Tokyo) · Jun 2009
Cilostazol may prevent cerebral vasospasm following subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Cilostazol is an antiplatelet aggregation inhibitor drug associated with increased cerebral blood flow and inflammation suppression. This study evaluated administration of cilostazol to prevent cerebral vasospasm following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in 50 patients treated surgically from December 2004 to November 2006. ⋯ The frequency and the degree of cerebral vasospasm, occurrence of ischemic lesion, and clinical symptoms due to vasospasm were compared between the two groups. The appearance of severe vasospasm on angiography, persistent symptomatic spasm, and new cerebral infarction due to vasospasm demonstrated by neuroimaging were apparently lower in the cilostazol group than in the control group, suggesting that cilostazol may significantly suppress cerebral vasospasm following SAH.
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Neurol. Med. Chir. (Tokyo) · Jun 2009
Case ReportsTension pneumocephalus as a complication of lumbar drainage for cerebral aneurysm surgery--case report.
A 66-year-old man developed tension pneumocephalus after failed lumbar drainage before clipping surgery for a ruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysm. After puncture with a Tuohy needle, the spinal catheter could not be inserted into the spinal dura, so surgery proceeded without the catheter placement. The patient's neurological status deteriorated suddenly into coma within 15 hours after uneventful clipping of the aneurysm. ⋯ Intracranial hypotension was probably caused by continuous cerebrospinal fluid leakage from the iatrogenic spinal dural tear, resulting in air entry and accumulation into the cranium from an unidentified opening of the cranial dura. The patient was immediately treated with autologous epidural blood patch administration in the lumbar spine, followed by reopening of the craniotomy incision and flap to evacuate the accumulated air. The patient made a quick and uneventful neurological recovery after the rescue procedure.
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Neurol. Med. Chir. (Tokyo) · Jun 2009
Case ReportsRemote cerebellar hemorrhage (zebra sign) in vascular neurosurgery: pathophysiological insights.
Hemorrhage in regions remote from the site of initial intracranial operations is rare, but may be fatal. Postoperative cerebellar hemorrhage as a complication of supratentorial surgery, with a radiological appearance known as zebra sign, is an increasingly recognized clinical entity and is associated mainly with vascular neurosurgery or temporal lobe resection. The pathophysiology remains unclear. ⋯ All patients had similar clinical findings and underwent pterional craniotomy with the head in accentuated extension. One patient died and the two were discharged without symptoms. Cerebellar hemorrhage probably has a multifactorial origin involving positioning associated with abundant cerebrospinal fluid drainage causing cerebellar sag with resultant vein stretching and bleeding, and use of aspirin or other antiplatelet agents.
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Neurol. Med. Chir. (Tokyo) · May 2009
Comparative StudyClinical significance of elevated natriuretic peptide levels and cardiopulmonary parameters after subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Daily changes in serum concentrations of natriuretic peptides and various cardiopulmonary parameters were measured after the onset of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) to investigate the pathogenesis of the cardiac and pulmonary consequences in 15 patients with acute phase SAH, divided into the control group (n = 5) with consciousness continuously preserved from SAH onset to admission, and the consciousness disturbance group (n = 10). Daily changes in serum A-type and B-type natriuretic peptides (ANP and BNP, respectively) were measured for 10 days, and intrathoracic blood volume index and extravascular lung water index (EVLWI) were measured for 5 days by the single transpulmonary thermodilution method. ⋯ EVLWI showed higher values in the consciousness disturbance group compared to the control group throughout the 5-day period. The increases in natriuretic peptide levels and increase in pulmonary extravascular water content found in SAH patients with consciousness disturbance show that load on the left ventricle or atrium as well as pulmonary capillary pressure are increased immediately after onset, supporting the contention that excessive release of catecholamines occurs at this time.
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Neurol. Med. Chir. (Tokyo) · Apr 2009
Case ReportsPhotophobia as the visual manifestation of chiasmal compression by unruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysm. Case report.
A 37-year-old woman presented with photophobia without visual loss associated with chiasmal compression by an unruptured anterior communicating artery (AcomA) aneurysm. She had suffered progressive photophobia for one year. ⋯ Photophobia was resolved following clipping of the aneurysm. AcomA aneurysm should be considered in patients who experience photophobia without visual loss.