1/76. Bilateral sphenoid wing metastases of prostate cancer presenting with extensive brain edema.A 76-year-old man insidiously developed diffuse neurological symptoms: cognitive decline, dysphagia, dysphasia and mental disturbance. Computed tomography of the cranium revealed widespread bilateral brain edema and symmetrical bilateral sphenoid wing hyperostosis. Adjacent to the hyperostosis that resembled skull base meningiomas, two separate parenchymatous temporal lobe lesions enhancing with contrast medium were observed. The patient had earlier been diagnosed to have prostatic carcinoma. dexamethasone therapy resulted in discontinuation of the neurological symptoms. The diagnosis of metastasized adenocarcinoma of the prostate was confirmed histologically on autopsy after a sudden death from pneumonia. Intracranial metastases of prostate cancer may have a predilection site at the sphenoid wing, and can mimic a skull base meningioma. Intracranial spread of prostatic adenocarcinoma should be considered in elderly men as a treatable cause of gradual neurological deterioration, especially if cranial malignancy or hyperostosis is found.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = state (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/76. A case of balamuthia mandrillaris meningoencephalitis.balamuthia mandrillaris is a newly described pathogen that causes granulomatous amebic encephalitis, an extremely rare clinical entity that usually occurs in immunosuppressed individuals. We report a case of pathologically proven Balamuthia encephalitis with unusual laboratory and radiologic findings. A 52-year-old woman with idiopathic seizures and a 2-year history of chronic neutropenia of unknown cause had a subacute illness with progressive lethargy, headaches, and coma and died 3 months after the onset of symptoms. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) glucose concentrations were extremely low or unmeasurable, a feature not previously described (to our knowledge). Cranial magnetic resonance imaging scans showed a single large temporal lobe nodule, followed 6 weeks later by the appearance of 18 ring-enhancing lesions in the cerebral hemispheres that disappeared after treatment with antibiotics and high-dose corticosteroids. The initial brain biopsy specimen and analysis of CSF samples did not demonstate amebae, but a second biopsy specimen and the postmortem pathologic examination showed Balamuthia trophozoites surrounded by widespread granulomatous inflammation and vasculitis. The patient's neutropenia and antibiotic use may have caused susceptibility to this organism. Amebic meningoencephalitis should be considered in cases of subacute meningoencephalitis with greatly depressed CSF glucose concentrations and multiple nodular lesions on cerebral imaging. Arch Neurol. 2000;57:1210-1212- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.16666666666667keywords = state (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/76. diffusion-weighted MRI suggests the coexistence of cytotoxic and vasogenic oedema in a case of deep cerebral venous thrombosis.We report a 20-year-old woman who suffered headaches before presenting with a state of fluctuating vigilance. MRI showed diffuse high signal in the basal ganglia bilaterally on diffusion- and T2-weighted images, which had areas of both low and high apparent diffusion coefficient, presumed to correspond to cytotoxic and vasogenic oedema. MR venography showed no flow in the deep cerebral veins or straight sinus. heparin was given, with clinical recovery. On follow-up MRI, the appearances became normal.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.16666666666667keywords = state (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/76. Cerebral oedema in enuretic children during low-dose desmopressin treatment: a preventable complication.Seven cases of cerebral oedema have been observed in enuretic children during low-dose desmopressin (DDAVP) treatment given in a dose of 7-21 microg daily in the czech republic between 1995 and 1999, after the drug started to be marketed for this indication and delivered in simple bottles with a dropper. All seven children (age 5-11 years, four boys) experienced a period of unconsciousness but all recovered without sequelae. In most cases, safety measures were underestimated and natraemia was not regularly controlled. Two children developed cerebral oedema after excessive water intake in preparation for uroflowmetry, another one drank much during a hot summer day, in one diabetes insipidus was not recognised and two children were clearly non-compliant with reduced fluid intake on a long-term basis. Only in one child, no risk factor was found. Conclusion. Proper selection and instruction of patients is needed to avert cerebral oedema during treatment with desmopressin for nocturnal enuresis.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 435.67417718923keywords = unconsciousness, consciousness (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/76. Proximal M2 false aneurysm after head trauma--Case report.A 72-year-old male presented with a post-traumatic false aneurysm of the right proximal M2 artery with massive subarachnoid hemorrhage after closed head injury. Serial computed tomography (CT) and angiography showed the development of the aneurysm which was verified at autopsy. He was admitted in a drowsy state just after a motorcycle accident. Initial brain CT showed subarachnoid hemorrhage without skull fracture. Follow-up brain CT showed a huge hematoma in the right temporal lobe. He died 47 hours after the accident. Histological examination of the aneurysm showed a false aneurysm. delayed diagnosis of traumatic aneurysms leads to high mortality, so early surgical treatment is essential to save such patients.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.16666666666667keywords = state (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/76. Late occurrence of diffuse cerebral swelling after intracerebral hemorrhage in a patient with the hellp syndrome--Case report.hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count (HELLP) syndrome can occur at any time in the course of pregnancy and is associated with many complications including fatal stroke. A 37-year-old female presented with hellp syndrome causing an intracerebral hematoma, which was treated by evacuation and mild hypothermia. Unexpected diffuse cerebral swelling occurred on the 15th day of the initially favorable postoperative course. Considerable impairment of consciousness persisted despite conservative therapy. Serial computed tomographic findings indicated delayed cerebral vasospasm as the cause of the swelling. Particularly careful management is required even beyond the first 2 weeks for patients with stroke as a complication of hellp syndrome.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 31.190767003092keywords = consciousness (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/76. Chronic subdural hematoma with vasogenic edema in the cerebral hemisphere--case report.An 80-year-old male with a history of hypertension presented with chronic subdural hematoma manifesting as progressive consciousness disturbance and left hemiparesis. T1-weighted and fluid attenuation inversion recovery (FLAIR) magnetic resonance imaging showed a fresh hematoma in the right subdural space with a midline shift of 15 mm. FLAIR and diffusion-weighted imaging showed a hyperintense area in the right paraventricular white matter compressed by the hematoma. Apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) corresponding to the hyperintense area in the central area of the affected cerebral hemisphere on FLAIR images were measured before and one month after the operation. The motion probing gradient was applied in the right-left direction to the body axis. Since the central area in the cerebrum includes nerve fibers perpendicular to the direction of the gradient, the measured ADC appeared to be anisotropic. Preoperative ADC in the right paraventricular white matter was anisotropic and greater than in age-matched normal subjects, so the edema was identified as the vasogenic type. The edema in the right paraventricular white matter resolved promptly with improvement of the midline shift and normalization of the ADC.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 31.190767003092keywords = consciousness (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/76. Type II (adult onset) citrullinaemia: clinical pictures and the therapeutic effect of liver transplantation.OBJECTIVE: adult onset type II citrullinemia is an inherited disorder of amino acid metabolism caused by a deficiency of liver specific argininosuccinate synthetase activity. Most of the patients with this disease were reported in japan and therefore, this disease has not been well recognised outside this country. The detailed clinical pictures of the patients with type II citrullinaemia are reported and their outcomes after liver transplantation referred to. methods: Ten patients with this disease were evaluated. Seven of them underwent liver transplants using a graft obtained from a healthy family member. RESULTS: There were six men and four women; the age of onset of encephalopathy ranged from 17 to 51 years. The initial symptom in nine patients was sudden onset disturbance of consciousness, and one patient had long been regarded as having a chronic progressive psychotic illness. High concentrations of plasma citrulline and ammonia were commonly seen on admission. Although brain CT or MRI lacked any consistent findings, the EEG was abnormal in all patients, showing diffuse slow waves. Additionally, in five patients chronic pancreatitis preceded the onset of encephalopathy. After liver transplantation the metabolic abnormalities, including abnormal plasma concentrations of citrulline and ammonia, were immediately corrected and all neuropsychic symptoms soon disappeared, except for impaired cognitive function in one patient. Six out of these seven patients returned to their previous social lives, including work. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical concept of adult onset type II citrullinaemia coincides well with the range of hepatic encephalopathy, and liver transplantation is a very promising therapeutic approach.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 31.190767003092keywords = consciousness (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/76. Cerebral blood flow imaging in arteriovenous malformation complicated by normal perfusion pressure breakthrough.BACKGROUND: A patient with normal perfusion pressure breakthrough (NPPB) after surgical removal of an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) was evaluated using single photon emission computed tomography cerebral blood flow (CBF) imaging. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 48-year-old man suffered consciousness disturbance because of an intraventricular hemorrhage and underwent ventricular drainage. cerebral angiography showed a medium-sized AVM in the left parietal lobe. Three months after the ictus, a left parietal craniotomy was performed and total removal of the AVM was achieved. A brain region adjacent to the AVM with preoperative decreased vasoreactivity to acetazolamide showed marked hyperperfusion after AVM excision. Hemorrhage subsequently occurred in this area. CONCLUSION: CBF mapping seems to offer a noninvasive method for the preoperative identification of AVM patients at risk for NPPB, and to allow for early postoperative diagnosis of NPPB.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 31.190767003092keywords = consciousness (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/76. MR imaging of acute intermittent porphyria mimicking reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome.Reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome (PLS) is characterized by headache, altered mental function, visual disturbances and seizures. neuroimaging studies suggest a white-matter oedema, predominantly in the posterior parietal-temporal-occipital regions of the brain. We present the case of a 30-year-old woman who had suffered her first attack of acute intermittent porphyria (AIP). Following 1 week of abdominal pain she developed several generalized seizures, and hallucinations, and exhibited a progressive deterioration of the consciousness. T2-weighted images, especially fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequences showed bilateral lesions in the posterior frontal, parietal and occipital cortex and subcortical white matter. Following treatment with haematin and a high carbohydrate diet the patient's condition improved. Follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed complete resolution of the lesions. To our knowledge, this is the first report concerning a completely reversible PLS in AIP.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 31.190767003092keywords = consciousness (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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