Pediatric Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Rare Events with Important Implications.

Rupture of an aneurysm is the leading cause of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) which results in accumulation of blood between the arachnoid and pia mater, consequently increasing intracranial pressure. This often results in life threatening conditions like herniation or clinical presentations including focal neurological deficits. In children, these events, although rare, have significant implications. Pediatric SAH is associated with better outcomes in the hospital setting and may even be prevented proactively by the recognition of potential risk factors. Specifically, better recognition of genetic predispositions, metastatic lesions, and infectious causes of aneurysms is important to understand their growth and prevent hemorrhagic events. This review highlights the causes of pediatric SAH, reviews the models of current understanding of this etiology, and discusses the current treatment schema to provide a succinct summary and highlight gaps in current knowledge. This may lead to future investigations aimed at further improving prevention strategies, patient care, and patient outcomes.

Timing surgery and hemorrhagic complications in endocarditis with concomitant cerebral complications.

BACKGROUND: To date, limited studies have been conducted regarding the safe timing of valvular repair for infectious endocarditis (IE) in patients with radiographic findings consistent with embolic stroke or infectious intracranial aneurysm (IIA). METHODS: A single-center, retrospective review of valvular surgeries for IE was performed (2011-2019). Outcomes for patients who underwent cranial image screening and those who did not were subsequently compared. RESULTS: 276 patients underwent valvular repair for IE; 186 (67.4%) were male. The mean age was 51.0 (17.4) years. Mean time from imaging to surgery was 7.5 days. 124 (44.9%) underwent baseline cranial imaging. Of these, 22 (17.7%) had findings concerning for ischemic stroke from embolic origin. 65 patients underwent baseline diagnostic cerebral angiography. 10 (15%) of these patients harbored an IIA. Four out of these 10 (40%) underwent intervention for an IIA. Two of the four who underwent intervention (50.0%) had ruptured IIAs. The remaining six (60%) patients with IIAs received treatment with antibiotics alone. None of the patients with IIAs suffered from symptomatic hemorrhage after valvular surgery. No significant difference in symptomatic hemorrhage after valvular surgery between those with ischemic embolic stroke compared to those without (ischemic stroke-4.5% vs. no ischemic stroke-1.0%; p = 0.32). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with radiographic evidence of ischemic stroke from septic emboli can safely undergo valvular surgery for IE without increased risk of symptomatic hemorrhage. We advocate for baseline CTA screening to evaluate for IIA in patients who present with a primary diagnosis of IE and propose a management algorithm.