Chronic subdural hematoma presenting with symptoms of transient ischemic attack (TIA): a case report.

Rarely, chronic subdural hematomas (CSDH) will present with symptoms mimicking transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). We report the case of an elderly man who presented with intermittent numbness and weakness of his left upper extremity typical of symptoms arising from a right sensorimotor cortex TIA. He was treated with empiric antiplatelet therapy for several days before a head CT was performed. The head CT and a subsequent MRI showed a CSDH with an acute component and cortical compression. Upon evacuation of the hematoma, his symptoms resolved. In cases of suspected TIA, a head CT should always be performed before beginning antiplatelet therapy. If there is an underlying hematoma, such therapy is dangerous, as it can potentiate more bleeding and leave the true pathology unaddressed.

Head injury in athletes.

HEAD INJURIES INCURRED during athletic endeavors have been recorded since games were first held. During the last century, our level of understanding of the types of cerebral insults, their causes, and their treatment has advanced significantly. Because of the extreme popularity of sports in the United States and worldwide, the implications of athletic head injury are enormous. This is especially true considering the current realization that mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) or concussion represents a major health consideration with more long-ranging effects than previously thought. When considering athletic injuries, people who engage in organized sports, as well as the large number of people who engage in recreational activities, should be considered. There are 200 million international soccer players, a group increasingly recognized to be at risk for MTBI. The participation in contact sports of a large number of the population, especially youth, requires a careful and detailed analysis of injury trends and recommended treatment. There are numerous characteristics of this patient population that make management difficult, especially their implicit request to once again be subjected to potential MTBI by participating in contact sports. Recent research has better defined the epidemiological issues related to sports injuries involving the central nervous system and has also led to classification and management paradigms that help guide decisions regarding athletes' return to play. We currently have methods at our disposal that greatly assist us in managing this group of patients, including improved recognition of the clinical syndromes of MTBI, new testing such as neuropsychological assessment, radiographic evaluations, and a greater appreciation of the pathophysiology of concussive brain injury. The potential for long-term consequences of repetitive MTBI has been recognized, and we no longer consider the "dinged" states of athletic concussions to have the benign connotations they had in the past. We review the historical developments in the recognition and care of athletes with head injuries, the current theory of the pathophysiology and biomechanics of these insults, and the recommended management strategy, including return-to-play criteria.

On the field evaluation of athletic head injuries.

This article reviews the diagnosis and management of athletic-related head injury. Cerebral concussion, diffuse axonal injury, brain contusion, and the spectrum of intracranial hematoma is discussed. Emphasis is placed on the need to evaluate when it is prevented from further participation.

On the field evaluation of athletic neck injury.

This article reviews the on the field management of athletic cervical spine and spinal cord injury. The various types of injuries are discussed, as well as the team approach to evaluation, immobilization, and transport of the injured athlete. An overview of treatment rationale and decisions regarding the return of the spine-injured or spinal cord-injured player to competition is given. Emphasis is placed on the prevention of further injury by mishandling the injured athlete.

Guidelines for return to contact or collision sport after a cervical spine injury.

Pro football is a violent, dangerous sport. To play it other than violently would be "imbecilic," according to the late Vince Lombardi. Many sports hold the potential for serious permanent spine and spinal cord injury. Fortunately, the incidence of catastrophic spine and spinal cord injuries has dramatically declined in the past 10 to 15 years. This decline is, in part, attributable to the development of sports-related spine injury registries, the education of the pathomechanics of these injuries, and the implementation of appropriate preventive measures. This article focuses on sports-related spinal cord and nerve injuries, ranging from the mild "stinger" syndrome to complete quadriplegia, with emphasis on recommendations for return to competition.

Utilization and cost savings of a wide-area computer network for neurosurgical consultation.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Telemedicine systems offer many potential advantages for health care delivery. Most reports have centered on the delivery of primary and medical subspecialty care rather than on its impact on patient care and the potential for cost savings. In 1993, we implemented NeuroLink, a wide-area teleradiology network for delivery of specialty care in neurologic surgery at Allegheny General Hospital (AGH). This study was designed to determine the potential cost savings of such a network. METHODS: We prospectively reviewed 100 consecutive telemedicine neurosurgical consultations from 20 western Pennsylvania community hospitals participating in the NeuroLink network. Data related to referring hospital, diagnosis, disposition of the patient, and mode of transportation were reviewed. To determine the potential cost savings, the differential of hospital-based charges between AGH and western Pennsylvania primary hospitals was calculated based on an average length of stay (LOS), patient bed costs, and transportation charges. RESULTS: Of the 100 patients, 33 did not require transfer to a tertiary facility but were instead managed at the community hospital as a direct result of the remote diagnosis and image review disclosing that neurosurgical procedures or intensive care were not required. Cost analysis, comparing the average LOS at AGH with that of the average community hospital, including transportation, showed savings of $502,638. CONCLUSION: Our neurosurgical wide-area computer network has led to more appropriate transfer of patients to a tertiary facility and significant estimated cost savings.

Intraoperative microvascular Doppler sonography in aneurysm surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The goal was to evaluate the efficacy and reliability of intraoperative microvascular doppler sonography for the assessment of cerebral hemodynamics in aneurysm surgery. METHODS: For 35 patients who underwent surgery for the treatment of 42 intracranial aneurysms, microvascular doppler sonography with a 20-MHz probe (1-mm diameter) was used before and after clip application, to confirm the obliteration of aneurysms. Assessment of the patency of the parent vessels and all branching arteries was performed. The findings from doppler sonography were confirmed with either intraoperative angiography or immediate postoperative angiography. RESULTS: The 1-mm microprobe was able to insonate all vessels of the circle of Willis and their major branches; furthermore, perforating arteries were reliably insonated. For 11 patients (31%), doppler sonography exposed parent artery or branching artery stenosis or occlusion and guided the immediate adjustment of aneurysm clip placement. The findings from intraoperative microvascular doppler sonography correlated with findings from angiography in all cases. There were no complications of microvascular doppler probe use. CONCLUSION: Intraoperative microvascular doppler sonography is a safe, instantaneous, effective, reliable, and cost-effective method for documenting the patency of parent vessels, arterial branches, and major perforators and the complete occlusion of cerebral aneurysms. This technique can be reliably used, in many instances, instead of intraoperative angiography for the surgical treatment of aneurysms.

Athletes with cervical spine injury.

Athletic injuries to the cervical spine are infrequent, but can present difficulty in both diagnosis and management. We designed a simple classification system consisting of three broad types of injuries to facilitate management decisions. Also included is a discussion of variations among injuries within each type and recommendations regarding the athlete's return to competition.

Characterization of the cardiac effects of acute subarachnoid hemorrhage in dogs.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We know that significant cardiac involvement can occur in patients with acute intracranial hemorrhage, particularly in those with subarachnoid hemorrhage. These patients may present with electrocardiographic abnormalities that were previously thought to be benign. However, many die of cardiovascular sequelae, which suggests more serious cardiac problems. To characterize the cardiac, rhythmic, and myocardial disturbances that occur 2 to 4 hours after subarachnoid hemorrhage, we conducted an experimental study using autologous blood (7.9+/-0.3 mL) injected into the right frontal lobe and subarachnoid space in canines. METHODS: Nine adult mongrel dogs were anesthetized with isoflurane and their rectal temperatures maintained at 37 degrees C. Electrocardiogram, heart rate, mean arterial pressure, mean pulmonary artery pressure, and intracranial pressure were continuously measured. Transesophageal echocardiography was performed to assess myocardial wall motion changes and aortic and pulmonary flow velocities before, immediately after, and 2 and 4 hours after intracranial hemorrhage. Blood samples were collected and analyzed for catecholamines and cardiac enzymes, and cardiac output was measured. Animals were killed at 2 to 4 hours after subarachnoid hemorrhage, and a piece of the myocardium was freeze-clamped for analysis of tissue catecholamines. Light and electron microscopy were used for histopathologic assessment. RESULTS: Subarachnoid hemorrhage produced significant increases in intracranial pressure, cardiac output, and aortic and pulmonary flow velocities. Also, significant changes in creatine kinase and catecholamines were observed. Electrocardiographic recordings showed changes of tachycardia, ST-segment depression, inverted T wave, and premature ventricular contractions in four animals at 1 to 5 minutes after injection, and echocardiographic changes were evident in all animals at 20 to 240 minutes. Microscopic examination of the heart showed evidence of myocardial changes in one animal with the use of light microscopy and in nine with the use of electron microscopy. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the high incidence of cardiac involvement, specifically wall motion abnormalities, that occur after subarachnoid hemorrhage and suggests the importance of continuous cardiac monitoring, particularly echocardiographic measurements, in those patients.

Hypothermic blood substitution enables resuscitation after hemorrhagic shock and 2 hours of cardiac arrest.

Uncontrollable hemorrhage accounts for a large proportion of total mortality in both civilian (31%) and military (47%) trauma victims. Hypothermia is a relatively safe method that could provide total body protection during hypovolemic shock and facilitate surgical intervention as a potentially life-saving procedure. This study tested the hypothesis that profound hypothermia and complete blood replacement in an established canine model, would facilitate resuscitative therapy from exsanguinating hypovolemic shock. Adult dogs were prepared for extracorporeal bypass using closed-chest peripheral cannulation under general anesthesia. Controlled hypotensive, hemorrhagic shock (mean arterial blood pressure < 50 mmHg) was induced for 30 min at normal temperature followed by temporary resuscitation using crystalloid infusion for approximately 10 min. Using our established procedure, the dogs were then cooled externally to 27 degrees C before initiating blood substitution with Hypothermosol (Cryomedical Sciences, Inc. Rockville, MD) via the extracorporeal pump. The heart was arrested during further cooling to below 10 degrees C and Hypothermosol was recirculated for 2 hr, with (3 dogs) or without (5 dogs) 1 hr of circulatory arrest. During rewarming the animals were autotransfused, weaned from the pump, and allowed to recover. All dogs (n = 8) survived, all but one with complete neurologic recovery: blood chemistry samples examined immediately after the procedure showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in only a few parameters, including creatine kinase (CK-BB and CK-MB), compared with the previous group of control dogs. The consistent survival of dogs showing apparently normal neurologic, physiologic, and biochemical recovery supports the concept that profound hypothermia using a protective hypothermic blood substitute could provide time for therapeutic resuscitation of currently intractable trauma cases.

Cryoprobe-assisted removal of spinal cord tumors: technical note.

The application of a cryosurgical contact probe to assist in the removal of intraspinal neoplasms is described. Most often used by ophthalmic surgeons for intraocular extraction purposes, these .89-3 mm cryoprobes provide an ideal safe "handle" when attached to intramedullary or extramedullary spinal cord tumors and facilitate dissection and removal with standard microsurgical techniques.

A new solution for life without blood. Asanguineous low-flow perfusion of a whole-body perfusate during 3 hours of cardiac arrest and profound hypothermia.

BACKGROUND: The benefits of hypothermia for preventing ischemic injury are well known, but its application in surgery to protect the whole body during procedures requiring circulatory arrest is currently limited to < 1 hour at 15 degrees C using 50% hemodilution. In a significant departure from previous methods, we have developed a technique of asanguineous blood substitution with low-flow perfusion and cardiac arrest at < 10 degrees C in a canine model. Our approach has been to design a hypothermic blood substitute that would protect the brain and visceral organs during several hours of bloodless perfusion. Two different solutions have been designed to fulfill separate requirements in the procedure. METHODS AND RESULTS: With the use of extracorporeal cardiac bypass, 14 adult dogs were exsanguinated during cooling; 11 dogs were blood substituted using in combination the "purge" and "maintenance" solutions (group 1), and 3 dogs were perfused throughout with the "purge" solution alone as controls (group 2). After cardiac arrest, the solutions were continuously circulated for 3 1/2 hours by the extracorporeal pump (flow rate, 40 to 85 mL.kg-1.min-1; mean arterial blood pressure, 25 to 40 mm Hg). The temperature was maintained at < 10 degrees C (nadir, 6.6 +/- 0.1 degrees C) for 3 hours, and the hematocrit was kept at < 1% before controlled rewarming and autotransfusion. In the experimental group, the heart always started spontaneously in the temperature range of 11 degrees C to 27 degrees C, and 8 animals have survived long-term (current range, 14 to 110 weeks) without any detectable neurological deficit. In contrast, two control animals survived after extensive and aggressive cardiac resuscitation efforts; after surgery they exhibited transient motor and sensory deficits for approximately 1 week. Evaluation of biochemical and hematological parameters showed only a transient and inconsequential elevation in enzymes (eg, brain, liver, cardiac) in group 1 compared with the markedly greater elevations in group 2. For example, immediate postoperative values (mean +/- SEM) for lactate dehydrogenase were 114 +/- 10 for group 1 versus 490 +/- 210 for group 2 (P < .03); for SGOT, values were 93 +/- 18 for group 1 versus 734 +/- 540 for group 2 (P < .05). On day 1 for creatine kinase (CK), the group 1 value was 7841 +/- 2307 versus 71,550 +/- 2658 for group 2 (P = .03), and for CK-BB, the group 1 value was 108 +/- 22 versus 617 +/- 154 for group 2 (P = .03). Neurological evaluation using deficit scores (NDS) was based on a modification of the Glasgow Coma Scale score: 0, normal; 1, minimal abnormality; 2, weakness; 3, paralysis; 4, coma; and 5, death. At days 1 and 2 after surgery, NDS (mean +/- SEM) were 0 +/- 0 for the experimental group versus 1.5 +/- 0.5 for the control group. At days 3 and 7 after surgery, NDS were 0 +/- 0 for group 1 versus 1.0 +/- 1.0 for group 2. CONCLUSIONS: The faster neurological recovery of dogs treated with the "intracellular-type" maintenance solution supports the biochemical data showing the benefits of this type of blood substitute for extending the safe limits of hypothermic cardiac arrest procedures to > 3 hours.

Anterior communicating artery aneurysm paraparesis syndrome: clinical manifestations and pathologic correlates.

OBJECTIVE: Clinicopathologic evaluation of patients with lower extremity paraparesis/-plegia following rupture and repair of anterior communicating artery (ACoA) aneurysms. DESIGN: Institution-based retrospective review. SETTING: A tertiary neurologic referral center. PATIENTS, PARTICIPANTS: Seven of 101 patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage from ruptured ACoA aneurysms treated between January 1987 and December 1992. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Neurologic status at latest follow-up examination. RESULTS: All patients presented with severe hemorrhage, poor clinical grade, and intracranial hypertension. Motor deficits developed within 7 days of aneurysm rupture and persisted for a mean duration of 39 days. Angiographic evidence of vasospasm in the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) distribution was documented in all cases, and paraparesis persisted beyond the angiographic resolution of vasospasm. All patients had evidence of frontal lobe dysfunction throughout their postoperative courses, and deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary emboli were common causes of morbidity and mortality. Autopsy data supported regional microvascular ischemia within the ACA distribution as the etiology of these motor deficits. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of vasospasm in the ACA distribution and lower extremity weakness associated with cognitive and affective impairment that resolves with time is common in patients with ACoA aneurysms. We propose that this constellation of clinical, radiographic, and pathologic findings be referred to as the "ACoA aneurysm paraparesis syndrome."

Neurolink: a neurosurgical wide-area computer network.

A computerized system capable of transmitting digitally formatted images of the central nervous system has been used to develop a neurosurgical wide-area network in western Pennsylvania. This system links remote or primary care hospitals with a large, tertiary-care, Level 1 trauma center for the constant availability of neurosurgical evaluation by receiving and interpreting computed tomography and magnetic resonance images sent via ordinary public telephone lines. This network has been used in over 20 cases to receive and interpret transmitted cranial computed tomographic images consisting of subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hematoma, cerebral neoplasm, cerebral abscess, cerebrovascular accident, and normal studies. There has been no known instance of false-positive or false-negative interpretation or of a patient being adversely managed by this method. On the contrary, it appears that patient management has been positively affected through the ability of the neurosurgical evaluation to include a review of the radiological studies. The initial experience has led to the conclusion that this network is an effective, accurate, and cost-effective means of delivering neurosurgical care to underserved areas.

Asanguineous whole body perfusion with a new intracellular acellular solution and ultraprofound hypothermia provides cellular protection during 3.5 hours of cardiac arrest in a canine model.

Temporary cessation of blood flow is a necessary aid for certain complex neurosurgical and cardiovascular procedures, and hypothermia is often used to help protect against the deleterious effects of ischemia and anoxia. In an attempt to protect cellular integrity during ultraprofound hypothermia (< 10 degrees C) and complete blood substitution, two new crystalloid-colloid blood substitutes (Hypothermosol-maintenance [HTS-M] and Hypothermosol-purge [HTS-P]) have been evaluated. Using extracorporeal bypass, 14 dogs were totally exsanguinated during cooling using the HTS-P solution, then perfused (40-85 ml/kg/min; mean arterial blood pressure = 25-40 mmHg) with either TS-M (Group I, n = 11), or with HTS-P as controls (Group II, n = 3) for 3 hr at 7 degrees C. During warming, the dogs were autotransfused and observed neurologically and biochemically during recovery. All dogs in Group I recovered and eight have survived long term (12-80 weeks) without apparent neurologic deficits. In contrast, dogs in Group II were more difficult to revive (cardiac resuscitation); two survived long term with delayed neurologic recovery. Evaluation of biochemical parameters showed only a transient and inconsequential elevation in enzymes (e.g., brain, liver, and heart) in Group I compared with the markedly greater elevations in Group II. The faster neurologic recovery of dogs treated with the "intracellular" maintenance solution supports the biochemical data showing the benefits of this type of blood substitute for extending the safe limits of hypothermic cardiac arrest to beyond 3 hr.

Rewarming, ultraprofound hypothermia and cardiopulmonary bypass.

Rewarming, a key event in resuscitation from accidental, experimental and clinical hypothermia, is sometimes followed by neurologic, cardiac, and respiratory sequelae and may lead to death. The rate of rewarming has been implicated but not quantified as etiologic in these sequelae. Under anesthesia fifteen dogs were cannulated and connected to an extracorporeal circuit for oxygenation, core cooling and rewarming. They were subjected to ultra-profound hypothermia with a core (esophageal) temperature as low as 1.3 degrees C, cardiac arrest, blood substitution, and continuous low flow perfusion. After 2-3 hours of cardiac arrest, rewarming began. Mechanical activity of the heart was seen between 10 degrees and 28 degrees C and respiration resumed at 29 degrees C. The rewarming rates of the 15 dogs were retrospectively studied. They were placed into three categories (G) based on the outcome. G-I (N=2):no neurological complications, G-II (N=8):transient neurological problems, and G-III (N=5):death, mainly from cardiovascular and respiratory complications confirmed at death by autopsy. Heat gain by each animal was recorded as a function of time for all experiments. The time it took each dog to reach 35 degrees C was determined and a mean was calculated (rewarming rate). Normal body temperature for a dog is 37.8 degrees C. Statistical analysis (ANOVA) was performed ex post facto to determine the relationship between rewarming rate and outcome. Our data contradicts the notion that slow core rewarming from nadir to normal temperature offers better outcome.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)