Pulmonary hypertension during epileptic seizure with evidence of increased angiotensin II in pulmonary artery

We experienced a 78-year-old man in whom transient pulmonary hypertension was documented during epileptic seizure. A Swan-Ganz catheter demonstrated that pulmonary arterial pressure rose immediately after the initiation of the seizure, which was followed by systemic hypertension. The plasma level of angiotensin II increased in pulmonary circulation during the seizures; however, catecholamines did not change from the baseline. The patient responded well to treatment with an antiepileptic drug and losartan potassium.     

老年人癫痫发作的临床特征分析

目的探讨老年人癫痫发作的临床表现、病因及其诊断与鉴别诊断。方法回顾性分析139例患者的临床资料,其中癫痫发作125例,非癫痫发作误诊为癫痫发作14例。结果主要病因为脑血管病(46.4%),其次为病因不详(29.6%)。125例癫痫发作患者中,部分性发作86例(68.8%),全面性发作39例(31.2%);53例行常规脑电图检查,12例(22.6%)出现非特异性异常,1例(1.9%)出现癫痫样电发放;43例行长程视频脑电图检查,38例(88.4%)出现癫痫样电发放。14例非癫痫发作均误诊为癫痫发作。结论脑血管病是老年患者癫痫发作最常见的病因,部分性发作为老年患者癫痫发作最常见的发作形式。Todd麻痹和非抽搐性癫痫持续状态为癫痫发作的特殊形式,极易误诊。代谢障碍性疾病、晕厥、短暂性全面性遗忘、短暂性脑缺血发作所致的非癫痫发作与癫痫发作的鉴别诊断较为困难。     

Pulmonary hemorrhage in cryoglobulinemia

Pulmonary manifestations of cryoglobulinemia are uncommon and their clinical behaviour is unpredictable, ranging from mild dyspnea to life-threatening presentations. A patient with cryoglobulinemia who presented with hypoxic respiratory failure attributed to pulmonary hemorrhage is reported.     

Pulmonary artery catheter-induced hemorrhage

Pulmonary artery rupture by a flow-directed balloon-tipped catheter is a rare complication if guidelines for insertion of catheters are strictly applied. It should be stressed that the need for a "confirmed" wedge pressure should be weighed against the very real risk of this potentially fatal complication. Users of this catheter should expect and anticipate distal migration of the catheter tip. Great care must be exercised in inflating the balloon, particularly when the location of the catheter tip in the pulmonary vascular bed is unknown. Excessive catheter manipulation should be avoided. Hemoptysis, hemothorax, cardiac or respiratory instability in patients who have the PA catheter should be suspected to have this grave complication and appropriate emergency measures should be taken until this complication has been ruled out.     

A case of neurogenic pulmonary edema associated with epileptic seizure]

We report a case of neurogenic pulmonary edema associated with epileptic seizure. A 36-year-old woman had had several episodes of fainting and postictal respiratory failure, and since July 1998 had been admitted to a nearby hospital three times. On October 12, 1999, she was again admitted to a nearby hospital with the same symptom, and was transferred from that hospital to ours for evaluation of the recurrent respiratory disorder. Low-grade fever, mild leukocytosis, hypoxemia and bilateral diffuse opacities were observed as previously on chest radiography, and improved within several days without any specific therapy. The negative C reactive protein level, normal cardiac function and faintly bloody bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were also observed. There was no evidence of aspiration pneumonia, infectious disease, or underlying heart or lung disease. Electroencephalography showed spikes in accord with the left temporal lobe, and the cause of the patient's fainting was thought to be temporal lobe epilepsy. After all other causes had been excluded, this case was diagnosed as neurogenic pulmonary edema associated with epileptic seizure. Only about 40 cases of the postictal pulmonary edema have been reported since 1908, and the pathophysiologic mechanism of this condition is still unknown. Neurogenic pulmonary edema associated with epileptic seizure is rare, but the importance of awareness of this condition needs to be emphasized because it is suspected to be the cause of unexpected sudden death in epileptics. We should consider the disease as important in the differential diagnosis of acute respiratory failure associated with epilepsy.     

Pulmonary hemorrhage complicating transthoracic puncture

Fine needle transthoracic aspiration (FNTA) of pulmonary opacities under guidance of computerized tomography (CT) is a simple procedure yielding conclusive results in many patients with malignant lung tumours. The small caliber of the needles utilized and the CT control make this increasingly popular procedure both accurate and safe. Yet a number of complications have occurred; most of them were benign (e.g. pneumothorax) but some were potentially dangerous (e.g. pulmonary haemorrhage), so that the pros and cons of the procedure must carefully be weighed. We report the case of a patient in whom FNTA was complicated by copious haemoptysis and a pulmonary haematoma clearly visible at CT. The literature concerning the potential complications of transthoracic puncture is reviewed.     

Pulmonary hemorrhage resulting from bungee jumping

Pulmonary hemorrhage is a relatively common complication of blunt chest trauma. Occasionally, it may result from pulmonary barotrauma after scuba diving or from sports activities not associated with barotrauma such as long breath-hold diving. We report a case of symmetric diffuse upper lobe hemorrhage resulting from a bungee jump in a previously healthy man. Bungee jumping is an increasingly popular sport with relatively few reported injuries. To our knowledge pulmonary hemorrhage in this setting has not yet been described.     

Pulmonary hemorrhage after intracoronary stent placement

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence and clinical characteristics of pulmonary hemorrhage after intracoronary stent placement.Background. Patients undergoing intracoronary stent placement receive intense anticoagulation to prevent stent thrombosis. Pulmonary hemorrhage during intense anticoagulation is uncommon in other clinical settings but has been diagnosed at our institution after stent placement.Methods. The clinical records of 88 consecutive patients undergoing intracoronary stent placement at a single tertiary referral center were reviewed for evidence of pulmonary hemorrhage. The diagnosis of pulmonary hemorrhage required bronchoscopic demonstration of fresh blood or thrombus in the airways of patients with sudden onset of hemoptysis, dyspnea or hypoxemia and new pulmonary infiltrates on chest radiograph.Results. Pulmonary hemorrhage was identified in 4 (4.5%) of 88 patients undergoing intracoronary stent placement. Patients commonly presented with dyspnea, hemoptysis, hypoxemia, new pulmonary infiltrates on chest radiograph and excessive prolongation of the activated partial thromboplastin time. Mean onset of symptoms was 31.5 h after the procedure. Three of four patients were treated for presumed cardiogenic pulmonary edema until invasive hemodynamic monitoring revealed normal left ventricular filling pressures. Pulmonary hemorrhage resulted in prolonged admissions in the intensive care unit and hospital. One patient died.Conclusions. Pulmonary hemorrhage after coronary stent placement was commonly misdiagnosed and was associated with significant morbidity and mortality in our patients. Although its mechanism is unclear, excessive anticoagulation was a likely contributing factor. Clinical trials comparing varying strategies and intensities of anticoagulation may be indicated.