Direct carotid-cavernous fistula presenting with intracranial hemorrhage without ocular symptoms.

Herein, we report a unique case of nontraumatic direct carotid-cavernous fistula presenting with intracerebral hemorrhage without any ocular symptoms. A 90-year-old woman was found unconscious and vomiting due to a subcortical hemorrhage in the temporal lobe. Magnetic resonance angiography revealed a direct carotid-cavernous fistula of Barrow type A. Extensive cortical venous reflux from the superficial middle cerebral vein was observed and identified as a probable contributor to the cerebral hemorrhage. We performed successful embolization using combined transarterial and transvenous approaches. We first occluded the dangerous venous drainage via the transvenous approach, followed by selective occlusion of the direct carotid-cavernous fistula via the transarterial approach. This strategy provided that the dangerous venous drainage was completely occluded first in case complete obliteration could not be achieved with the transarterial approach.

[Difficulties in distinguishing abnormal intensities associated with convulsion from tumor on MRI: a case report].

A 48-year-old man was admitted to our department with generalized convulsive seizures followed by recurrent partial clonic convulsions in the left face and arm. Convulsions stopped temporarily after administration of diazepam, fosphenytoin, and levetiracetam. However, frequent partial seizures occurred repeatedly and general anesthesia was required to control seizures. Diffusion-weighted and T2-weighted images revealed a high-intensity lesion in the right frontal lobe. A tumor-like area in the white matter showed high intensity on T2-weighted images with ring enhancement on gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted images. An area of frontal cortex near the tumor was also enhanced. Brain surgery was performed for the purposes of diagnosis, seizure control and tumor resection. Histological findings demonstrated oligodendroglioma in the ring-enhancing area, but not in the frontal cortex. This fact indicated that contrast enhancement of the frontal cortex was caused by status epilepticus. It is important to recognize that status epilepticus could cause contrast enhancement on magnetic resonance imaging.

[Effectiveness of Prothrombin Complex Concentrate for Warfarin-related Intracranial Hemorrhage].

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Warfarin-associated intracranial hemorrhage(w-ICH)usually increases and results in unfavorable outcomes. Administration of prothrombin complex concentrate(PCC)can reverse anticoagulation and correct prothrombin time-international normalized ratio(PT-INR)immediately; it is recommended by some guidelines for cases of w-ICH. We assessed the effect of PCC on blood coagulation. METHODS: We administered PCC and vitamin K to 11 patients with w-ICH who were admitted to our hospital between October 2016 and November 2017. We measured the PT-INR at baseline and immediately, 1 hour, 6 hours, and on the day after PCC administration. RESULTS: Patients' mean(range)PT-INR normalized from 1.92(1.64-3.26)to 1.08(1.03-1.29)immediately after receiving PCC. Patients' PT-INR was 1.17(1.08-1.29)1 hour after receiving PCC, 1.22(1.16-1.52)6 hours after receiving PCC, and 1.17(1.05-1.29)on the day after receiving PCC. In all the cases, no side effects emerged. Five patients had a safe operation. All the patients' modified Rankin Scale scores at discharge were stable or within a permissive limit in comparison with the symptoms on admission. CONCLUSION: In our cases, administration of PCC corrected the PT-INR immediately and contributed to a better outcome of w-ICH.

Embryonal brain tumor with unknown primary lesion and massive cerebrospinal fluid dissemination: A case report.

The 2007 World Health Organization Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System (CNS) categorized embryonal tumors of the CNS into three classes: medulloblastoma, CNS primitive neuroectodermal tumor, and atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor. Due to the lack of specific histological features, it was sometimes difficult to accurately differentiate CNS embryonal tumors pathologically. Here, we report a case of a young man, who presented with headache. Gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated massive lesions in the cerebrospinal fluid space, which strongly suggested leptomeningeal dissemination of a brain tumor. The histology showed the tumor comprised densely packed, small cells with scant cytoplasm. Immunoreactivities were positive for synaptophysin and chromogranin A, and negative for glial fibrillary acidic protein, S-100, EMA, and CD20. Because the tumors were located in multiple sites and most of them were within the cerebrospinal fluid space, the primary lesion could not be determined. We diagnosed this case as 'CNS primitive neuroectodermal tumor' by the patient age and predominantly supratentorial distribution of the lesions. After the induction therapy, WHO published its updated classification in 2016. Considering the possibility that the diagnosis is medulloblastoma, we performed additional immunohistochemical analyses, and diagnosed Group 3 medulloblastoma because of the expression of natriuretic peptide receptor 3.

Intractable Hiccups After Coil Embolization of Partially Thrombosed Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery Aneurysm.

BACKGROUND: Hiccups are defined as sudden-onset involuntary contractions of the diaphragm followed by immediate inspiration and laryngeal closure, and they are considered intractable if prolonged beyond 1 month. A reflux arc involving phrenic, vagal, and central midbrain modulation is likely responsible for hiccups. We herein report a case of intractable hiccups caused by compression of the dorsal aspect of the medulla oblongata after treatment of a partially thrombosed distal posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) aneurysm. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 51-year-old man presented with severe headache and was diagnosed with subarachnoid hemorrhage. Magnetic resonance imaging and cerebral angiography showed a partially thrombosed distal PICA aneurysm associated with a fusiform aneurysm in the ipsilateral vertebral artery. Based on the limited distribution of the clot, we performed endovascular coil occlusion of the aneurysm lumen followed by parent vessel occlusion for the distal PICA aneurysm. After the procedure, the patient presented with hiccups that could not be controlled by any medications. Magnetic resonance imaging showed an area of hyperintensity at the bilateral dorsal part of the medulla adjacent to the embolized aneurysm. The hiccups spontaneously disappeared 1 month after the procedure, and the abnormal signal findings also disappeared within the same period. The hiccups did not recur for 30 months postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: In this case, the precise location of the culprit lesion causing the patient's hiccups was the dorsal medulla oblongata. Clinicians should be aware of the possibility of structural or functional disorders of the reflux arc in patients with intractable hiccups.

[Tentorial Dural Arteriovenous Fistula Successfully Treated with Transvenous Embolization Using a Double Catheterization Technique through Venous Drainage:A Case Report].

BACKGROUND: Tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulas(dAVFs)are a rare clinical entity accounting for less than 10% of all intracranial dAVFs. Because these lesions are characterized by high hemorrhagic risk, aggressive treatment should be considered. Although the number of reported cases treated with endovascular transarterial embolization(TAE)using glue has been increasing, little is known about the transvenous approach. Here, we report the case of a patient with a tentorial dAVF who was successfully treated with transvenous embolization(TVE)through venous drainage using a double catheterization technique. CASE PRESENTATION: A 68-year-old male patient who had a history of left putaminal hemorrhage treated with a craniotomy was diagnosed with a tentorial dAVF on a magnetic resonance angiogram. Because the patient refused another craniotomy for surgical interruption of the dAVF, an endovascular approach was considered. We first attempted to perform TAE with glue, but catheterization into the tortuous meningohypophyseal trunk failed. We then performed a TVE of the venous drainage near the shunt with detachable coils and achieved complete obliteration of the fistula. During coil embolization of the venous drainage, insertion of small coils near the shunt was supported by another anchor coil that was delivered using a double catheterization technique. CONCLUSIONS: The method of TVE through venous drainage using a double catheterization technique, which involved placing coils in the fragile drainage vein, was safe and effective in a case of tentorial dAVF. This technique should be considered as another option for the management of complex tentorial dAVFs.