BackgroundA lumbar drainage catheter is frequently placed intra-operatively to decrease fluid pressure on the brain in aneurysmal subarachnoid cases. In rare cases, this catheter placement can lead to intracranial hypotension, resulting in brain stem herniation termed “brain sag” and it can lead to neurological injury and may prove to be fatal. We present our patient with brain sag secondary to intraoperative lumbar drainage. Case descriptionA 56-year-old woman was admitted with a sudden onset of severe headache. A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed diffuse subarachnoid hemorrhage with ruptured anterior communicating artery aneurysm. After general anesthesia, a lumbar drainage catheter was placed intra-operatively to reduce pressure on the brain and 50 cc of CSF was removed during a 5-h period. Three to five days after operation, her neurologic symptoms became worse with an altered mental state and pupillary asymmetry. CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed slit lateral ventricles, effacement of the cisterns and an elongated brain stem. After placing the patient in the Trendelenburg position, the patient rapidly recovered to her baseline neurologic state. DiscussionTypical complications of subarachnoid hemorrhage such as vasospasm or hydrocephalus also manifest as neurological deterioration, but their treatments differ greatly from those for brain sag. Thusly, it is important to distinguish between causes. Treatments such as lumbar or extra-ventricular drainage, induced hypertension or administration of mannitol must be stopped once brain sag is suspected. Also, care should be taken for typical imaging features of brain sag on CT or MRI scan. For brain sag, placing the patient in the Trendelenburg position can improve neurological status in a rapid fashion.ConclusionsBrain sag is a rare but serious condition and can be fatal if not rapidly diagnosed and treated. We therefore recommend including brain sag in the differential diagnosis, along with vasospasm, hydrocephalus or cerebral edema as part of possible complications following subarachnoid hemorrhage treatment. We hope our clinical and imaging data from this case study contribute to the correct diagnosis of brain sag, as its early detection is important.

We report here one case of rapid and aggressive course of cerebral metastatic angiosarcoma from the heart. A 36-year-old man presented with 10-days history of headache. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated subacute hemorrhage with a small region of enhancement in right parietal region and the pathological diagnosis was angiosarcoma. Transthoracic echocardiography demonstrated 3.2×3 cm sized mass on right atrial wall. Newly developed lesion was reoperated, three and four weeks later respectively, and whole brain radiotherapy of total 30 Gy was done. With the interval of two months, gamma knife surgery was done for new lesions two times, which were well controlled. Newly developed lesions rapidly happened even in the adjuvant treatment. He died 9 months after the diagnosis because of the aggravation of primary cancer. The cerebral metastatic angiosarcoma from the heart showed the rapid aggressive behavior and the closed follow-up could be needed for the adjuvant treatment.

No abstract

ObjectiveThe importance of traumatic dural venous sinus injury lies in the probability of massive blood loss at the time of trauma or emergency operation resulting in a high mortality rate during the perioperative period. We considered the appropriate methods of treatment that are most essential in the overall management of traumatic dural venous sinus injuries.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective review of all cases involving patients with dural venous sinus injury who presented to our hospital between January 1999 and December 2014.ResultsBetween January 1999 and December 2014, 20 patients with a dural venous sinus injury out of the 1,200 patients with severe head injuries who had been operated upon in our clinic were reviewed retrospectively. There were 17 male and 3 female patients. In 11 out of the 13 patients with a linear skull fracture crossing the dural venous sinus, massive blood loss from the injured sinus wall could be controlled by simple digital pressure using Gelfoam. All 5 patients with a linear skull fracture parallel to the sinus over the venous sinus developed massive sinus bleeding that could not be controlled by simple digital pressure.ConclusionWhen there is a linear skull fracture parallel to the sinus over the dural venous sinus or a depressed skull fracture penetrating the sinus, the surgeon should be prepared for the possibility of potentially fatal venous sinus injury, even in the absence of a hematoma.

Intracranial aneurysm rupture usually manifests with subarachnoid hemorrhage, often combined with intracerebral hemorrhage with intraventricular hemorrhage extension. In rare cases, however, these aneurysms present only as subdural hematomas. Recently, we treated a 48-years-old female patient who presented only with subdural hematoma. Interestingly, she did not have a history of trauma. Computed tomography angiography and digital subtraction angiography revealed a 5 × 3 mm sized aneurysm at the A3–A4 junction of the left anterior cerebral artery. On admission, emergency operation (clipping and hematoma evacuation) was performed to protect against re-bleeding. Along with postoperative intensive care, the patient returned to normal daily life with only a mild headache. Given that patients may present with atraumatic acute subdural hematoma, the clinician must bear in mind the possibility of intracranial vascular pathology and obtain angiographic scans to evaluate for any underlying conditions to prevent patient deaths.