Percutaneous decompression for femoral neuropathy secondary to heparin-induced retroperitoneal hematoma: case report and review of the literature.

Retroperitoneal hematoma resulting in femoral nerve injury is a serious potential complication of systemic heparin anticoagulation. Review of the literature reveals lack of agreement with respect to conservative versus surgical management. The authors report the first case in which return of function was established by percutaneous decompression of a retroperitoneal hematoma in a patient who was not a candidate for immediate surgery. The favorable result suggests that percutaneous drainage may represent a reasonable alternative or first step in surgical treatment of this compression.     

Intracerebral hematoma secondary to lightning stroke: case report and review of the literature

A young boy sustained a lightning stroke to his head. He was rendered immediately unconscious and hemiplegic. Computed tomography revealed three discrete basal ganglia hematomas. This patient's management is discussed, and a review of lightning injuries to the central nervous system is presented.     

Spontaneous perirenal hematoma. A case report and review of literature

Spontaneous perirenal hematoma (SPH) is a clinical entity that poses a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. We report a case of SPH in an adult where the cause could not be determined at first presentation, even with computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen and angiography. He was under close follow-up, and it was only with a repeat CT scan after 3 months that a mass lesion in the kidney was identified as the underlying cause. We also present a review of the literature so that a logical approach can be adopted for this problem.     

Acute spinal subdural hematoma. A case report and review of literature

A case of acute spinal subdural hematoma is reported in a 24-year-old woman. Presentation occurred in the postpartum period, 4 days following epidural anesthesia. Emergency decompressive laminectomy attained partial recovery. Subsequent pathology demonstrated evidence of a low-grade ependymoma. Reported cases of spinal subdural hematomas are reviewed and compared with the characteristics of this unique case.     

Spinal subdural hematoma: case report and review of the literature.

A case of lumbar spinal subdural hematoma in a patient who had been on anticoagulant therapy is reported. Thus far 19 cases of spinal subdural hematoma have been reported in the literature, the majority in patients with a bleeding diathesis and after a lumbar puncture. Our case is the third reported to be in association with anticoagulant therapy. The hematoma was lumbosacral, in contrast to the usual location in the dorsal-lumbar area. A possible mechanism for the production of spinal subdural hematoma after a lumbar puncture is discussed. An early decompressive laminectomy and evacuation of the hematoma is the recommended treatment to obtain the best possible recovery of neurological function. (Neurosurgery, 5: 614--616, 1979).     

Cervico-mediastinal hematoma secondary to extracapsular hemorrhage of parathyroid carcinoma. Clinical case and review of the literature

Extracapsular parathyroid haemorrhage is a rare but ominous occurrence, which may cause cervico-mediastinal haematoma and a severe calcaemia imbalance. We identified only 23 cases reported in the literature and these were always secondary to adenoma, hyperplasia or cysts, and never to carcinoma. We describe a case of a 56-year-old man who was admitted to our Institute because of the sudden development of an anterior neck swelling, together with dysphagia, dyspnoea and hoarseness. Physical examination revealed a large ecchymosis extending from the anterior neck to the upper chest, while the early symptoms had disappeared. Laboratory studies, ultrasonography and 99mtTC-Sestamibi scintiscan demonstrated the presence of primary parathyroidism due to a right inferior parathyroid neoplasm. At operation, the parathyroid was excised en bloc with the right thyroid lobe because they were joined together by an extensive fibrous reaction. Histological examination showed a well-differentiated parathyroid carcinoma with evidence of recent haemorrhage. To the best of our knowledge this is the first case of extracapsular haemorrhage due to a parathyroid carcinoma. In summary, although parathyroid haemorrhage is a rare condition, it should always be suspected when a painful mass or diffuse swelling suddenly occurs in the anterior neck, with or without ecchymosis, especially when serum calcium and phosphorus are abnormal.     

Acute pancreatitis secondary to dehydration: case report and review of the literature.

Recent reports have documented the potentially catastrophic consequences of dehydration induced by vigorous exercise in otherwise healthy individuals. A case of acute pancreatitis secondary to exercise-induced dehydration is presented, and the literature of dehydration-induced syndromes, both research and clinical, is reviewed. The goal of this case report is to heighten awareness of dehydration as a potential cause of acute pancreatitis.     

Subdural hematoma and electroconvulsive therapy: A case report and review of the literature

Background and case presentation

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a common therapeutic procedure in psychiatry associated with a low rate of complications. We report a rare case of subdural hematoma (SDH) associated with ECT. Clinical presentation: a 64 year old woman, with a medical history of persistent depression which required ECT six years previously, underwent ECT following a new acute episode. After four ECT sessions, a left hemiparesis occurred. Brain CT scan revealed a right SDH. The patient underwent surgery and fully recovered three months after the drainage of the hematoma. We conducted a review of all cases in which SDH was associated to ECT.

黄韧带血肿:1例报道及文献综述

黄韧带血肿是一种罕见的椎管内硬膜外血肿,其发病机制尚不清楚,可能是由于轻微的外伤引起退变的黄韧带中增生的小血管破裂出血所致,最早由Sweasey于1992年报道,多见于腰椎,临床症状进行性加重,与椎间盘突出、滑膜囊肿等相似,主要表现为神经、硬膜囊受压的症状.本文报道了1例腰椎黄韧带血肿的病例,并对已发表文献回顾总结.     

Spontaneous cervical epidural hematoma: case report and literature review

BACKGROUND: Spontaneously occurring epidural hematomas for which no etiology is identified are rare phenomenon. These are often neurosurgical emergencies; therefore, prompt diagnosis and treatment are paramount. Because of the rarity of this condition, we have illustrated in this recent case its presentation, evaluation and management. METHODS: A 63-year-old male presented to our emergency room with right-sided hemiparesis and contralateral hypesthesia, consistent with a C5 Brown-Séquard syndrome. An initial evaluation for cerebral infarction was unremarkable, including a negative brain magnetic resonance image. Further imaging revealed a cervical epidural hematoma of unknown etiology. RESULTS: The patient underwent emergent laminectomy for decompression and evacuation of the hematoma within 24 hours of his presentation to the emergency room. The patient's symptoms improved remarkably after surgery and a 4-month follow-up imaging evaluation revealed no recurrence of his hematoma. CONCLUSION: This report highlights the various presentations, evaluation, and management options for this rare diagnosis. It emphasizes the necessity of prompt diagnosis for possible emergent intervention.     

Spontaneous spinal subdural hematoma: case report and review of the literature

We report the case of a pediatric patient with a spontaneous spinal subdural hematoma that was not associated with a coagulation abnormality. Six cases have been reported previously. The patient improved after surgical drainage. The possible causes of this rare problem are discussed.     

Femoral vein aneurysm: a case report and review of the literature

Primary venous aneurysms are rarely encountered lesions. Case reports have been described throughout the venous system. The lesions are usually symptom-free being found as a subcutaneous mass, an incidental finding on an imaging study, or during the work-up for deep venous thrombosis. However, embolism and rupture have been rarely described. A femoral vein aneurysm is reported, along with a current review of the literature of venous aneurysms.     

Traumatic clivus epidural hematoma: case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND: Traumatic clival epidural hematoma is an extremely rare reported entity. CASE DESCRIPTION: We describe the case of a 26-year-old woman involved in a car accident who presented with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 13, bilateral abducens palsy, bilateral numbness on the mandibular territory of the trigeminal nerve, and left hypoglossal palsy. Radiological examinations revealed a clival epidural hematoma. The patient was managed conservatively, with clinical improvement of her neurological condition. This is the first traumatic clival epidural hematoma reported in an adult. From a review of the literature, we found only 8 cases. CONCLUSION: The pathophysiology of these hematomas is still a subject of debate; occipitoatlantoaxial ligamentous instability may play a role in it. In one third of the cases, bilateral cranial nerve palsies were associated. Apparently, they have a benign outcome.     

Successful heparin desensitization: a case report and review of the literature

Immediate hypersensitivity reactions to heparin have been described in the literature. Moreover, heparin remains the anticoagulant of choice in cardiopulmonary bypass. We describe a patient with heparin allergy who underwent successful heparin desensitization and a review of the literature.     

Pneumocephalus secondary to a spinal surgery: A literature review and a case report

IntroductionWe report a case of pneumocephalus, which is identified as the presence of air in the cranial cavity and is a rare complication after spinal surgeries, in addition to a literature review of similarly reported cases.Case presentationThe patient is a 63-year-old male who developed pneumocephalus after undergoing a minimally invasive left side decompression at L3-L4 with left L4 foraminotomy even though there were no signs of dural tears or Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) leaks. After the diagnosis of pneumocephalus using brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), the patient was treated conservatively and was discharged after 3 weeks without developing further complications.DiscussionPneumocephalus is defined as an abnormal accumulation of air within the cranial cavity. It can occur due to a variety of causes but rarely due to gas forming bacteria. Many theories are suggested concerning the pathophysiology of pneumocephalus, the inverted bottle theory, the ball valve theory, the Nitrous Oxide (N₂O) theory, and as we outweigh in our case, gas forming bacteria theory. Pneumocephalus can be treated surgically, nevertheless, conservative management methods of such cases are usually followed.ConclusionThe aim of this study is to draw further attention to the management and diagnosis of such surgical complication. A more extended research is needed to provide a full comprehensive approach to deal with this problem if faced in the future. To the best of our knowledge, this study reports the first pneumocephalus case induced by a postoperative bacterial infection in the global English based medical literature.