Benign perimesencephalic hemorrhage occurring after previous aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Both aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and benign perimesencephalic hemorrhage are well-described causes of spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage that arise as a result of different pathologic processes. To the best of the authors' knowledge, there have been no reports of both vascular pathologies occurring in the same individual.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 51-year-old Caucasian woman with a history of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage presented five years after her initial treatment with ictal headache, meningismus, nausea and emesis similar to her previous bleeding event. Computed tomographic imaging revealed perimesencephalic bleeding remote from her previously coiled anterior communicating artery aneurysm. Both immediate and delayed diagnostic angiography revealed no residual filling of the previously coiled aneurysm and no other vascular anomalies, consistent with benign perimesencephalic hemorrhage. The patient had an uneventful hospital course and was discharged to home in good condition.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This report for the first time identifies benign perimesencephalic hemorrhage occurring in the setting of previous aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. The presence of a previously treated aneurysm can complicate the process of diagnosing benign perimesencephalic hemorrhage. Fortunately, in this case, the previously treated anterior communicating artery aneurysm was remote from the perimesencephalic hemorrhage and could be ruled out as a source. The patient's prior aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage did not worsen the anticipated good outcome associated with benign perimesencephalic hemorrhage.</p

Lung Protective Ventilation (ARDSNet) versus APRV: Ventilatory Management in a Combined Model of Acute Lung and Brain Injury

BACKGROUND: Concomitant lung/brain traumatic injury, results in significant morbidity and mortality. Lung protective ventilation (ARDSNet) has become the standard for managing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS); however, the resulting permissive hypercapnea may compound traumatic brain injury (TBI). Airway pressure release ventilation (APRV) offers an alternative strategy for management of this patient population. APRV was hypothesized to retard the progression of acute lung/brain injury to a greater degree than ARDSNet in a swine model. METHODS: Yorkshire swine were randomized to ARDSNet, APRV, or sham. Ventilatory settings and pulmonary parameters, vitals, blood gases, quantitative histopathology, and cerebral microdialysis were compared between groups using chi-square, Fisher’s exact, Student’s t-test, Wilcoxon rank-sum, and mixed effects repeated measures modeling. RESULTS: 22 swine (17 male, 5 female), weighing 25±6.0kg, were randomized to APRV (n=9), ARDSNet (n=12), or sham (n=1). PaO(2)/FiO(2) (P/F) ratio dropped significantly while intracranial pressure increased significantly for all three groups immediately following lung and brain injury. Over time, peak inspiratory pressure, mean airway pressure, and P/F ratio significantly increased, while total respiratory rate significantly decreased within the APRV group compared to the ARDSNet group. Histopathology did not show significant differences between groups in overall brain or lung tissue injury; however, cerebral microdialysis trends suggested increased ischemia within the APRV group compared to ARDSNet over time. CONCLUSION: Previous studies have not evaluated the effects of APRV in this population. While our macroscopic parameters and histopathology did not observe a significant difference between groups, microdialysis data suggest a trend toward increased cerebral ischemia associated with APRV over time. Additional and future studies should focus on extending the time interval for observation to further delineate differences between groups. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II STUDY TYPE: Therapeuti