Bilateral chronic subdural hematoma cases showing rapid and progressive aggravation.

BACKGROUND: We have analyzed the records of our own hospitalized cases of bilateral chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH) to reveal the prognosis. METHODS: Ninety-eight cases of cSDH were operated at our hospital over a 6-year period, in which 14 cases were classified as being bilateral. Among these 14 cases, 6 cases showed a rapid and aggressive clinical course. Therefore, complicated risk factors, the initial data on coagulofibrinolytic examination, magnetic resonance imaging appearance, and prognosis were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 6 cases, 5 showed a rapid aggravation as they awaited surgery. The period of the aggravation since the initial diagnosis harboring cSDH was 19 to 54 hours. One case was at first neurologically free from any disturbance but 17 hours later experienced a generalized seizure. All 6 cases experienced consciousness disturbance. In addition, 3 of them manifested oculomotor palsy. Two cases showed an abnormality of coagulofibrinolytic activity. No significant risk factors were revealed. In 4 cases, T(2)-weighted images (T2WIs) revealed the hematoma of a mixed high and low intensity, indicating that the hematoma consisted of both liquid and solid parts of a freshly formed blood clot. In 2 cases, the hematoma showed a low intensity in T(1)-weighted image (T1WI), indicating a recent bleeding of a significant amount. CONCLUSION: The bilateral cases of cSDH should be treated as early as possible with simultaneous decompression of bilateral hematoma pressure, even if the patient shows minimal neurologic deficits. Mixed high and low intensity in T2WI or low intensity in T1WI is the most predictable factor to show rapid aggravation.

Incomplete oculomotor nerve palsy caused by an unruptured internal carotid-anterior choroidal artery aneurysm--case report--.

A 59-year-old woman visited our institute with the chief complaint of dizziness which persisted whenever she tried to focus on objects. She had not experienced apparent double vision and had no history of intracranial bleeding. Neurological examination revealed no abnormality except for exotropia at the mid-position and at upper gaze. Cerebral angiography revealed that the intracranial portion of the left internal carotid artery ran more horizontally and also identified an unruptured left internal carotid-anterior choroidal artery (IC-AChA) aneurysm of 3.0 mm diameter. The aneurysm at the origin of the AChA was confirmed during surgery. The proximal lateral wall of the aneurysm was in contact with the oculomotor nerve. This contact was released after complete obliteration of the aneurysm. The exotropia resolved 3 months later. Oculomotor nerve palsy usually indicates the presence of internal carotid-posterior communicating artery (IC-PcomA) aneurysm. Since sacrifice of the AChA will result in severe neurological deficits, accurate neuroimaging information is needed prior to the operation. Conventional angiography and/or three-dimensional computed tomography angiography should be performed to ascertain whether the aneurysm is an IC-PcomA or IC-AChA aneurysm, even if some neurosurgeons insist that conventional angiography is not always needed before surgery for an unruptured aneurysm.

[Two cases of transient global amnesia (TGA) immediately after coronary angiography: pathogenesis of the primary TGA].

Two cases of transient global amnesia (TGA) following coronary angiography are reported. Nonionic contrast media was used and injected at room temperature. Both cases showed sudden amnesia about 15 minutes after the left ventriculography. A clinical feature was typical to TGA, showing repeated questions with retrograde and antegrade memory disturbance without any other neurological abnormality. Diffusion-weighted images (DWI) of magnetic resonance imaging revealed no fresh lesion in both cases. The patients recovered from TGA attack within 24 hours. Some cases have been reported which display a manifested TGA following cerebral or coronary angiography. In these situations, embolism, the effect by the contrast media was suspected as the cause of TGA. Since most TGA cases in a classical meaning (primary TGA) showed no abnormality in both DWI and T2-weighted image (T2WI), the cerebral ischemia was not really considered to be the cause of the condition. Therefore, the pathogenesis of the TGA is suggested to be much more functional rather than anatomically abnormal. The pathogenesis of the primary TGA was thought to be some kind of hypersensitivity to the external stress or the stress reaction of the hippocampal cell. This stress may lead to cellular depolarization and the following repolarization (spreading depression), which showed transient abnormality in DWI and not a permanent abnormality in T2WI.

Microvascular decompression for hemifacial spasm caused by the vertebral artery: a simple and effective transposition method using surgical glue.

BACKGROUND: Microvascular decompression for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia and hemifacial spasm (HFS) has been established and has brought about excellent results. However, recurrence or lack of relief from the symptoms was experienced in some cases in which the nerve root or root exit zone were compressed by the vertebral (VA) and basilar arteries. We experienced a severe HFS case, mainly caused by a compression with the tortuous VA. A more simple transposition technique of the offending VA using surgical glue is reported. METHODS: A 64-year-old male had been suffering from HFS for six years. The tortuous right VA with anterior inferior cerebellar arteries (AICA) was considered to be responsible for his vascular compression syndrome. The VA was carefully and slowly dislocated away from the pontomedullary junction toward the cranial base. Then the arteriosclerotic portion of the VA wall was chosen, where a small piece of Surgicel (ETHICON, Inc., Somerville, NJ) is placed beforehand so as to use a minimum amount of glue (Biobond; Mitsubishi Pharma Corp., Osaka, Japan). Until the glue is hardened, the VA is held away from the brain stem. After this procedure, the ordinary transposition of AICA branches was added. RESULTS: The annoying HFS completely disappeared immediately after the operation. CONCLUSION: The advantage of our method is the simplicity of the procedure. It requires less space and time while the other methods using tapes, strips, and clips need a greater working space and more time.

Familial hypercholesterolemia: a family who suffered cerebral infarction over three successive generations.

A certain family with a history of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) in which several members suffered cerebral infarction (CI) for 3 successive generations is reported. The first case is a 54-year-old female who suffered from medial longitudinal fasciculus syndrome caused by a lesion on the pons. The second case is the son of the first case and is a 28-year-old male who suffered from left hemiparesis by a lesion on the corona radiata. The third case is the mother of the first case and is a 77-year-old female who suffered from dizziness as a result of cerebellar lacunae. All 3 patients showed a marked elevation of their serum cholesterol level without any apparent history of coronary heart disease (CHD). Our cases are peculiar and unique because the patients are of 3 successive generations who suffer from CI without any apparent history of CHD. Moreover, the latter generations are having CI at younger ages. The mechanism of CI was thought to be the occlusion of the arteriole by the increased viscosity associated with other risk factors rather than the apparent arteriosclerosis in our cases. Although FH is often associated with a high incidence of CHD, the information about the occurrence of CI has not always been available. The patients may suffer from CI more frequently than was previously thought. We hope to point out the need for such FH patients to be carefully monitored and to be treated as a high-risk group for CI as well as CHD.