Henrique Dumont: how a traumatic brain injury contributed to the development of the airplane

ABSTRACT The life and death of Henrique Dumont (1832-1892) is little known, being usually remembered as Alberto Santos-Dumont's father. This report describes the history of this Brazilian engineer, also known as the King of Coffee, who achieved enormous business success and fortune in the late nineteenth century. In 1890, during the inspection of his farm, the world's largest coffee plantation at that time, he fell from a carriage, which left him a hemiplegic. This forced him to sell the farm and move to France for treatment. Before his death two years later, he gave his 18-year-old son bits of advice, and distributed his inheritance, which allowed Alberto to study in Paris and finance his experiments that would culminate in the development of the airplane. The diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities are also discussed

Cognitive and psychiatric changes as first clinical presentation in Sneddon syndrome

ABSTRACT Sneddon syndrome (SS) is a rare progressive non-inflammatory thrombotic vasculopathy affecting small/medium-sized blood vessels of unknown origin. It is strongly associated with the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (AA). The presence of livedo reticularis and cerebrovascular disease are hallmark features. The condition is far more common in young women. We report a case of SS in a 43 year-old male with a two-year history of progressive cognitive impairment consistent with dementia syndrome, and major personality changes, besides livedo reticularis and cerebral angiographic pattern of vasculitis. AA were borderline. The recognition of skin blemishes that precede strokes should raise the hypothesis of SS. AA are elevated in more than half of cases, but their role in the pathogenesis or association of positive antibodies and SS remains unclear. Dementia syndrome in young patients should be extensively investigated to rule out reversible situations. Typical skin findings, MRI and angiography may aid diagnosis

Unilateral Direct Carotid Cavernous Fistula Causing Bilateral Ocular Manifestation

Unilateral carotid cavernous fistula presents with ipsilateral ocular findings. Bilateral presentation is only seen in bilateral fistulas, usually associated with indirect (dural) carotid cavernous fistulas. Direct carotid cavernous fistulas are an abnormal communication between the internal carotid artery and the cavernous sinus. They typically begin with a traumatic disruption in the artery wall into the cavernous sinus, presenting with a classic triad of unilateral pulsatile exophthalmos, cranial bruit and episcleral venous engorgement. We report the case of a 38-year-old male with traumatic right carotid cavernous sinus fistula and bilateral ocular presentation successfully treated by interventional neuroradiology