Carotid-cavernous fistula with brainstem congestion mimicking tumor on MRI

Article abstract-A 65-year-old woman presented with a left abduction deficit and "red eye," mild proptosis, chemosis, arterialization of the conjunctival vessels, intention tremor, and bilateral pyramidal signs. MRI showed significant left-sided brainstem involvement that mimicked a tumor. Right hemiplegia ensued 1 week later. Venous congestion of the brainstem with hemiplegia resulting from shunting of blood flow from both carotid arteries is an extremely rare complication of carotid-cavernous fistula.     

ADHD presenting as recurrent epistaxis: a case report

Epistaxis is an important otorhinolaryngological emergency, which usually has an apparent etiology, frequently local trauma in children. Here we present a case report wherein the epistaxis was recalcitrant, and proved to have a psychiatric disorder as an underlying basis. The child was diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, hyperactive type, which led to trauma to nasal mucosa due to frequent and uncontrolled nose picking. Treatment with atomoxetine controlled the patient's symptoms and led to a remission of epistaxis.     

Carotid-cavernous fistula following percutaneous trigeminal ganglion approach

A case of carotid-cavernous fistula following percutaneous trigeminal ganglion approach is presented. The case was treated by a combination of trapping and emobilsation of the carotid artery.Percutaneous approach to the trigeminal ganglion via the foramen ovale was described by taptas (1911) and hartel (1914). Since then this procedure has been used in large series, for the injection of alcohol (harris. 1940), electrocoagulation (kirschner, 1942) or the injection hot water (jeager, 1957) to the trigeminal ganglion for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia.In 1965 white and sweet used the percutaneous trigeminal ganglion approach for the radio-frequency (R.F.) thermocoagulation of the trigeminal ganglion. This procedure is a simple and safe method. It has been used in large series in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia.In our department we have performed 252 R.F. thermocoagulation of the gasserion ganglion in 228 patients since 1975. In 252 interventions using the percutaneous trigeminal ganglion approach, via the foramen ovale, we observed only one carotid-cavernous fistula following the procedure. This is the second report in the literature of a carotid-cavernous fistula following the percutaneous trigeminal ganglion approach.     

难治性颈动脉海绵窦瘘治疗的探讨

目的 探讨栓塞治疗复发及难治性颈动脉海绵窦瘘的对策。方法 回顾分析52例颈动脉海绵窦瘘患者中的5例，3例外伤性颈动脉海绵窦瘘和2例自发性颈动脉海绵窦瘘病例。结果 2例球囊栓塞后复发再次调整球囊型号或增加球囊而完全闭塞瘘口，1例球囊栓塞后复发以微弹簧圈填塞小瘘口，1例经动脉途径失败而经静脉途径填塞弹簧圈使瘘口闭塞，1例自发性颈动脉海绵窦瘘病例因瘘口巨大应用4枚球囊仍有较大瘘口残余而经BOT实验后将同侧颈内动脉及瘘口闭合而使之临床治愈。结论 对颈动脉海绵窦瘘球囊栓塞后复发，瘘口过大、过小、动脉途径治疗困难等情况应用不同材料及治疗途径可取得良好的治疗效果。     

A forgotten lethal psychosis: a case report

Homocystinuria due to cystathionine β-synthase deficiency is an inborn error of metabolism first described almost 50 years ago, which involves the accumulation of plasma homocysteine and other metabolites. Without early detection and appropriate treatment, common and sometimes lethal consequences include ocular abnormalities, osteoporosis, developmental delays, marfanoid phenotype, vascular disease, and mental retardation. Almost 50 % of subjects develop a psychiatric disorder during their life, but only 2.8 % present a psychiatric symptom as the initial manifestation. Among this group, psychotic disorders are infrequent. We describe the case of a 17-year-old boy presenting with a first episode psychosis and an unknown homocystinuria due to cystathionine β-synthase deficiency, which led to a lethal outcome.     

双侧自发性颈内动脉海绵窦瘘一例

病历摘要患者女性,63岁。主因持续性左额及左眼疼痛伴视物模糊5个月,于2011年5月3日入院。患者于入院前5个月无明显诱因出现头痛,以左侧额部为主,呈持续性胀痛伴左侧眼球胀痛,睁眼后症状加重,伴左眼视物模糊,继而出现流涕、鼻部胀痛,先后就诊于眼科、神经内科,予以抗血小板聚集及改善微循环等治疗,效果欠佳。3个月前自觉"鼻部发酸并左侧耳鸣",如"脉搏"搏动样,就诊于耳鼻     

Perineal decubitus ulcer with urethro-cutaneous fistula without bilateral ischiectomy: case report

Perineal decubitus ulcer with urethro-cutaneous fistula has previously been reported in paraplegics as a late complication following bilateral ischiectomy. This case report illustrates the occurrence of the problem in a male paraplegic without bilateral ischiectomy, and this has not been previously reported in the English literature. Successful reconstruction was accomplished with a full thickness skin graft tube and and gracilis muscle flap.     

Treatment of lethal catatonia with electroconvulsive therapy and dantrolene sodium: a case report

According to the literature, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the most effective treatment for lethal catatonia. This article describes a patient with lethal catatonia: treatment by ECT alone was ineffective, whereas continued treatment with ECT in combination with dantrolene sodium led to improvement.     

Spinal intradural arteriovenous fistula with unusual presentation: case report and literature review

Object  The authors present their experience with a Cervical Spinal intradural arteriovenous fistula (AVF) with unusual clinical presentation in a pediatric patient and review of the international literature on this condition. Methods  A 5-year-old girl was found by her parents in bed screaming and talking inappropriately. Later on, she calmed down and complained of occipital, back and neck pain. She was admitted to the CHEO-ICU for work up and observation. The admission head CT scan showed evidence of SAH. Brain MRI showed blood in the third and fourth ventricles. MRA showed a C2 vascular lesion consistent with spinal cord AVF. Conventional angiogram was done which confirmed the AVF fed by a posterior medullary artery originating from the left vertebral artery. An attempt to embolize the AVF with glue was made but proved to be unsuccessful. On December 4, 2002, direct surgery on the AVF was performed, through a midline posterior approach (C2–C3 laminectomies) and microsurgical technique a complete excision of the intradural extramedullary AVF was achieved. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient remained neurologically intact. Post-operative angiography confirmed complete excision of the AVF. Conclusion  The rarity of a pediatric spinal AVF presenting with spontaneous Intracranial SAH, makes this case very peculiar. This is the first reported pediatric case of cervical cord AVF with this clinical presentation found in the literature.     

Perinatal lethal Gaucher disease: A case report and review of literature

Perinatal lethal Gaucher disease is a very rare variant of type 2 Gaucher disease that occurs in the neonatal period and leads to death in early infancy. The disease is characterized by hydrops fetalis or a collodion baby phenotype accompanied with progressive neurological manifestations, hepatosplenomegaly, thrombocytopenia, anemia, and failure to thrive. We report a case of perinatal lethal Gaucher disease treated with enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) who survived for 9 months and present a literature review of perinatal lethal Gaucher disease cases. The prognosis of perinatal lethal Gaucher disease is poor, and ERT is only effective in visceral manifestation. Therefore, palliative care should be recognized as a treatment option, and ERT employment needs to be discussed in this context.     

特殊表现的硬脊膜动静脉瘘1例

硬脊膜动静脉瘘（spinal dural arteriovenous fistula,SDAVF)是脊髓血管畸形中的常见类型。本文报道1例表现为急性起病的硬脊膜动静脉瘘病例，并针对该病的诊断及治疗作一讨论。     

外伤性颈动脉海绵窦瘘反复鼻衄的诊断和治疗

目的 总结８例外伤性颈动脉海绵窦瘘（ＴＣＣＦ）反复迟发性大量鼻衄。方法 ８例ＴＣＣＦ合并鼻衄患者入院前采用鼻腔填塞和颈动脉压迫止血。８例中有７例行急诊脑血管造影和血管内治疗,术中采用球囊闭塞ＴＣＣＦ的瘘口或闭塞颈内动脉的方法。结果 脑血管造影发现８例中有５例合并假性动脉瘤征象。１例治疗前死亡,６例治愈,１例反复鼻衄者经三次血管内治疗不成功,通过内窥镜直接用肌肉填塞获得成功．结论 ＴＣＣＦ合并反复大     

Sphenoidal meningoencephalocele associated with CSF fistula and arteriovenous malformation Spetzler-Martin V: A case report

Cerebral Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are presumed congenital anomalies of the blood vessels, which can increase intracranial pressure by uncertain mechanisms.We report the rare case of a 55-year-old male patient who complained about CSF rhinorrhea. Persisting CSF leakage prompted CT, which evidenced a bone defect in the right middle cranial fossa with protruding brain tissue. The diagnosis of a sphenoidal meningoencephalocele was made. Neuroimaging evidenced an AVM Spetzler Martin V. The lesion was targeted via an endonasal approach with resection of the herniated brain tissue and closure of the bony and dural defects. The postoperative course was uneventful without recurrence of the CSF fistula.Documentation of these cases is essential to come up with standardized therapeutical protocols and follow-up. Nevertheless, conservative management of the AVM and surgical repair of the bone defects is an appropriate approach in the first instance, depending on the morphology and characterization of the AVM.     

Intracranial dural arteriovenous fistula draining into spinal cord veins: case report

We present an usual case of intracranial dural arteriovenous fistula with perimedullary and spinal cord venous plexus drainage and discuss its etiological, physiopathological, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects.     

Usefulness of ultrasonography in a case of spontaneous carotid-cavernous fistula: a case report]

Since spontaneous carotid-cavernous fistula (CCF) is a dural arterio-venous fistula at the cavernous sinus, which is different from traumatic CCF and CCF associated with a ruptured aneurysm at the cavernous internal carotid artery, cerebral angiography is required in order to differentiate these condition. We here report a case of spontaneous CCF, in which a result of ultrasonographic evaluation of cervical arteries well corresponded with that of cerebral angiography. Ultrasonography showed increased blood flow and decreased pulsatility index in the ipsilateral external carotid artery, contralateral internal and external arteries, and these values in all arteries resolved within normal range after the interventional embolization. Ultrasonography is less invasive examination and can be easily performed even in outpatients for observation of spontaneous CCF.     

A tentorial dural arteriovenous fistula presenting progressive myelopathy: a case report

Abstract We report a case of a dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF) at the tentorium cerebelli, which presented progressive myelopathy. A 68-year-old man with neurological deterioration of the cervical myelopathy visited our hospital. T₂ weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging showed high signal area and edema from the medulla to the upper thoracic spinal cord with flow voids on the dorsal surface of the cord. Angiography showed right tentorial DAVF, which was supplied by the right meningohypophyseal trunk, the middle meningeal artery, the accessory meningeal artery, and was drained into the posterior spinal veins. The patient underwent right retrosigmoid suboccipital craniotomy, then disruption of the fistula was performed by using micro Doppler sonography following endovascular obliteration of the main feeders. Postoperative angiography showed complete obliteration of the fistula. His daily functioning gradually improved up to 6 months after the surgery. Tentorial DAVFs with clinical manifestation of myelopathy are rare. Considering its aggressive nature, early surgical treatment could be necessary. (Received: November 17, 2010, Accepted: December 18, 2010).     

Endovascular treatment of spontaneous vertebral arteriovenous fistula in children: case report

Spontaneous cervical artery fistulas are rare arteriovenous malformations between the artery and veins of the neighborhood. We report a case of non traumatic vertebral arteriovenous fistula in a girl, aged 9 years, treated by endovascular approach. Under general anesthesia and with fluoroscopic guidance, using a endovascular technique, latex detachable balloons were used to successfully occlude the fistula. Complete clinical and angiographic recovery was achieved and no complications related to the embolization procedure occurred. The result obtained in this case corroborates that endovascular techniques, especially balloon occlusion embolization, has become the standard treatment for this vascular disorder.