Mollaret Meningitis with a High Level of Cytokines in the Cerebrospinal Fluid Successfully Treated by Indomethacin

A rare case of Mollaret meningitis characterized by four recurrent episodes of aseptic meningitis during a three-year period is reported. The patient showed a high fever and severe headache accompanied by a high level of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytokines, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). The symptoms and high CSF cytokines were resolved immediately after introducing indomethacin treatment. Reactivation of the latent virus is considered to be the cause of this rare disease, and indomethacin is believed to inhibit the periodic abnormal generation of eicosanoid in the brain, resulting in a reduction in the fever and subsequent inflammation

Bilateral Chronic Subdural Hematomas of the Posterior Fossae : Case Report

An 86-year-old female presented with rare bilateral chronic subdural hematomas (CSHs) of the posterior fossae which were successfully treated by surgical intervention. She had experienced mild head trauma one month before admission. She was transferred to our hospital because of consciousness disturbance and tetraparesis. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging showed simultaneous occurrence of supratentorial and infratentorial CSHs. We tried to evacuate the CSHs of the bilateral posterior fossae because brainstem compression was markedly severe. Through bilateral burr-hole trepanations, chocolate-colored fluid, not containing clotted components, gushed out under great pressure. Postoperative course was uneventful. MR imaging revealed that the CSHs of the posterior fossae had completely disappeared and brainstem compression had also improved. The patient's neurological deficits were immediately improved after the operation. The patient was discharged one month after the operation for further rehabilitation. Trepanation and evacuation of the hematoma through the posterior fossa might be one of the therapeutic options for posterior fossa CSH, which is similar to supratentorial CSH. However, we considered that the emergency of this rare entity and the method of anesthesia were quite different from supratentorial CSH

Pituitary Apoplexy Manifesting as Massive Intracerebral Hemorrhage : Case Report

A 68-year-old man presented with severe conscious disturbance caused by pituitary apoplexy resulting in massive intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). He had been periodically followed up for asymptomatic pituitary adenoma at another hospital for 8 years. Neuroimaging examination revealed pituitary apoplexy and massive ICH located in the left frontal lobe, and the ICH was directly connected to the intratumoral hemorrhage. The diagnosis was massive ICH from pituitary apoplexy. The patient underwent emergent evacuation of hematoma and removal of the pituitary adenoma via bi-frontal craniotomy. Postoperatively, he continued to exhibit deep consciousness disturbance and died 1 month after the operation. Pituitary apoplexy is usually characterized by intra-tumoral hemorrhage. The treatment strategy for asymptomatic pituitary adenoma is still controversial. This case shows that we should always consider the risk of pituitary apoplexy manifesting as ICH which may cause a fatal outcome

Transarterial regional hypothermia provides robust neuroprotection in a rat model of permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion with transient collateral hypoperfusion

The robust neuroprotective effects of transarterial regional hypothermia have been demonstrated in the typical transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) model, but have not yet been tested in other ischemic stroke models, even though clinical ischemic conditions are diverse. In order to clarify these effects in a different ischemic stroke model, we employed a rat model of permanent MCAO (pMCAO) with transient collateral hypoperfusion (tCHP), which was achieved by direct MCA ligation through craniotomy and 1-h bilateral common carotid artery occlusion at the beginning of pMCAO. The infusion of 20 ml/kg of 4 degrees C cold saline (CS) or 37 degrees C warm saline (WS) into the ipsilateral internal carotid artery (ICA) was performed for 15 min in intra- or post-tCHP. Neurological scores, infarct/edema volumes, and neuronal apoptosis and reactive gliosis were compared between the CS and WS groups and a non-infusion control group after 48 h of reperfusion. Although brain temperatures were only reduced by 2-3 degrees C for 15 min, the CS group had significantly better neurological scores, smaller infarct/edema volumes, and less penumbral neuronal apoptosis and reactive gliosis than the control and WS groups. The post-tCHP CS group exhibited prominent neuroprotective effects, even though infarct volumes and neuronal apoptosis were reduced less than those in the intra-tCHP CS group. In conclusion, we demonstrated the neuroprotective effects of transarterial regional hypothermia in an ischemic model of pMCAO with tCHP. Even though MCAO is persistent, cold infusion via the ICA is neuroprotective for the penumbra, suggesting the wider therapeutic application of this therapy

Regression of Dural Arteriovenous Fistulae after Venous Flow Reconstructive Surgery in a Case with Hemangiopericytoma at the Confluence of Sinuses

Background: The mechanism by which acquired dural arteriovenous fistula (dAVF) develops is still unclear. Few cases have been reported with both dAVF and intracranial tumors, and in these few cases the authors have proposed that induced venous hypertension may lead to the pathogenesis of dAVF. We experienced a case of intrasinusoidal hemangiopericytoma (HPC) with dAVF development. In addition to its rare pathology and tumor location, this case showed regression of dAVF immediately after tumor removal. Case Report: The patient was a 23-year-old man who developed progressively worse headaches and papilledema. The HPC was located entirely inside the confluence of the sinuses (CoS) and resulted in venous sinus occlusion. Cerebral angiography demonstrated a dAVF located in the straight sinus, upstream of the occluded CoS, which was fed by the dural branch of the posterior cerebral artery. After the endovascular embolization of the tumor feeders, subsequent surgery included venous reconstruction in addition to tumor excision. Although the dAVF was not treated with an endovascular procedure or surgery, postoperative angiography revealed complete disappearance of the dAVF. Conclusion: We conclude that venous reconstructive surgery greatly contributed to the immediate regression of the dAVF. When planning the treatment strategy for such cases, it should be remembered that acquired dAVF may regress due to the normalization of venous hypertension

Superior Microvascular Perfusion of Infused Liposome-Encapsulated Hemoglobin Prior to Reductions in Infarctions after Transient Focal Cerebral Ischemia

Background: The development of cerebral infarction after transient ischemia is attributed to postischemic delayed hypoperfusion in the microvascular region. In the present study, we assessed the microvascular perfusion capacity of infused liposome-encapsulated hemoglobin (LEH) in a therapeutic approach for transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). Methods: Two-hour middle cerebral artery occlusion rats were immediately subjected to intra-arterial infusion of LEH (LEH group) or saline (vehicle group) or no treatment (control group), and then to recanalization. Neurological findings, infarct and edema progression, microvascular endothelial dysfunction, and inflammatory reactions were compared between the 3 groups after 24 hours of reperfusion. Microvascular perfusion in the early phase of reperfusion was evaluated by hemoglobin immunohistochemistry and transmission electron microscopy. Results: The LEH group achieved significantly better results in all items evaluated than the other groups. Hemoglobin immunohistochemistry revealed that the number of hemoglobin-positive microvessels was significantly greater in the LEH group than in the other groups (P < .01), with microvascular perfusion being more likely in narrow microvessels (≤ 5 µm in diameter). An electron microscopic examination revealed that microvessels in the control group were compressed and narrowed by swollen astrocyte end-feet, whereas those in the LEH group had a less deformed appearance and contained LEH particles and erythrocytes. Conclusion: The results of the present study demonstrated that the infusion of LEH reduced infarctions after tMCAO with more hemoglobin-positive and less deformed microvessels at the early phase of reperfusion, suggesting that the superiority of the microvascular perfusion of LEH mediates its neuroprotective effects