Carotid artery pseudoaneurysm resulting from an injury to the neck by a fouled baseball.

OBJECTIVE: Blunt carotid artery injury resulting in either dissection or pseudoaneurysm is a rare entity that can result in significant morbidity and mortality if undiagnosed. Although unavoidable in certain traumatic situations such as motor vehicle collisions, direct neck trauma in sports may be preventable with the use of proper protective equipment. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: The following report documents a case of extracranial carotid artery dissection resulting from a foul ball striking the upper, lateral neck of an umpire. The patient had transient right upper extremity monoparesis. He later presented with right hemiparesis and aphasia that resolved over several hours. Imaging studies demonstrated a left carotid pseudoaneurysm with evidence of left hemispheric embolic infarcts. INTERVENTION: Systemic intravenous anticoagulation with heparin followed by oral anticoagulation with warfarin for 6 months, subsequently followed by aspirin monotherapy. CONCLUSION: The use of standard protective equipment did not adequately cover the patient's neck in the region of the cervical carotid artery. This case illustrates that modification in current catcher and umpire equipment could potentially avoid this rare but significant vascular injury.

Intraventricular schwannoma in a 15-year-old adolescent: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Schwannomas are benign tumors that originate from the myelin-forming Schwann cells of peripheral nerves or at the Obersteiner-Redlich zone of the vestibular division of the eighth cranial nerve. Intraventricular schwannomas are rare, particularly among children. DISCUSSION: This case report illustrates a right occipital horn schwannoma in a 15-year-old adolescent boy who was successfully treated with surgical resection and discusses the possible origins of the tumor in this unique location.

Management of scalp toxic epidermal necrolysis and cranial osteomyelitis with serratus anterior myocutaneous pedicle flap: a case report.

The aim of this report is to describe the management of scalp toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) and cranial osteomyelitis complicating malignant glioma therapy. A 21-year-old man developed TEN while being radiated and receiving antineoplastic and anticonvulsant therapies for a malignant intracranial glioma. The strategy used to manage the above situation included withdrawal of the medications causing TEN, meticulous dermatological wound care, resection of residual glioma, debridement of scalp and bone, and reconstruction of the scalp and calvarial defect with a myocutaneous vascularized free flap. The scalp wounds have healed completely in a cosmetically acceptable fashion and the patient remains free of tumor recurrence approximately 18 months after surgery, having completed a course of systemic chemotherapy. TEN may complicate the use of anticonvulsant and antineoplastic medications in malignant glioma patients. Withdrawal of the offending agent and immune suppressant medications, skin care and infection control, tumor resection to diminish steroid use, and reconstruction of scalp and calvarial defects with a vascularized myocutaneous flap facilitate wound healing and permit resumption of antineoplastic therapies.