Arteriovenous malformation of the brain: Imaging by postmortem angiography

Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are rare congenital conditions with a prevalence of less than 1% and are mostly asymptomatic. However, these malformations can suddenly cause intense pain or bleeding, leading to life-threatening medical problems. This report presents a case of an unexpected death in a 37-year-old previously healthy woman due to an intra-cerebellum arteriovenous malformation rupture identified during autopsy. While infective processes where preliminarily excluded, a Post Mortem Computed Tomography (PMCT) identified a tetra ventricular hemorrhage and intra-cerebellum hemorrhage. Toxicological examination was negative for most substances of abuse. During autopsy an intense hemorrhagic infiltrate in the subarachnoid space was observed. After formalin fixation of the brain the cerebellum showed hemorrhagic infarction on fourth ventricle sides, as well as several small reddish infarctions across the entire cerebellum parenchyma. Histological examination of the brain and cerebellum showed a suffusion of erythrocytes in the sub-arachnoid region. Evidence of an arterio-venous malformation, with several intertwine vessels of variable diameter, surrounded by hemorrhagic evidence. The autopsy played a crucial role in identifying the location and the possibly affected vessel, as well as defining the cause of death. It is necessary to have a greater number of autopsies to make an epidemiological contribution. Furthermore, it is crucial to create a multicenter data network with other authors from other departments to improve information about epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic data. Most brain AVMs as cause of death are often undiscovered.

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Congenital Multiple Cavernous Angiomas Associated With Thrombosed Arteriovenous Malformation of the Brain. Case Report.

Neurologia medico-chirurgica ◽

10.2176/nmc.42.67 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 42 (2) ◽

pp. 67-72 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Yasuhiko HAYASHI ◽

Yasuo TOHMA ◽

Masanao MOURI ◽

Tetsumori YAMASHIMA ◽

Junkoh YAMASHITA

Keyword(s):

Case Report ◽

Arteriovenous Malformation ◽

Cavernous Angiomas ◽

The Brain

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The Bard on the Brain: Understanding the Mind Through the Art of Shakespeare and the Science of Brain Imaging

JAMA ◽

10.1001/jama.291.6.746 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 291 (6) ◽

pp. 746-747

Author(s):

H. L. Roth

Keyword(s):

Brain Imaging ◽

The Mind ◽

The Brain

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The brain timewise: how timing shapes and supports brain function

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rstb.2014.0170 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 370 (1668) ◽

pp. 20140170 ◽

Cited By ~ 39

Author(s):

Riitta Hari ◽

Lauri Parkkonen

Keyword(s):

Human Brain ◽

Brain Imaging ◽

Brain Function ◽

Temporal Dynamics ◽

Generative Models ◽

Network Activity ◽

Brain Diseases ◽

Specific Information ◽

Non Invasive ◽

The Brain

We discuss the importance of timing in brain function: how temporal dynamics of the world has left its traces in the brain during evolution and how we can monitor the dynamics of the human brain with non-invasive measurements. Accurate timing is important for the interplay of neurons, neuronal circuitries, brain areas and human individuals. In the human brain, multiple temporal integration windows are hierarchically organized, with temporal scales ranging from microseconds to tens and hundreds of milliseconds for perceptual, motor and cognitive functions, and up to minutes, hours and even months for hormonal and mood changes. Accurate timing is impaired in several brain diseases. From the current repertoire of non-invasive brain imaging methods, only magnetoencephalography (MEG) and scalp electroencephalography (EEG) provide millisecond time-resolution; our focus in this paper is on MEG. Since the introduction of high-density whole-scalp MEG/EEG coverage in the 1990s, the instrumentation has not changed drastically; yet, novel data analyses are advancing the field rapidly by shifting the focus from the mere pinpointing of activity hotspots to seeking stimulus- or task-specific information and to characterizing functional networks. During the next decades, we can expect increased spatial resolution and accuracy of the time-resolved brain imaging and better understanding of brain function, especially its temporal constraints, with the development of novel instrumentation and finer-grained, physiologically inspired generative models of local and network activity. Merging both spatial and temporal information with increasing accuracy and carrying out recordings in naturalistic conditions, including social interaction, will bring much new information about human brain function.

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Arteriovenous malformations in the posterior fossa

Journal of Neurosurgery ◽

10.3171/jns.1977.47.1.0050 ◽

1977 ◽

Vol 47 (1) ◽

pp. 50-56 ◽

Cited By ~ 47

Author(s):

Hiroshi Matsumura ◽

Yasumasa Makita ◽

Kuniyuki Someda ◽

Akinori Kondo

Keyword(s):

Arteriovenous Malformation ◽

Brain Stem ◽

Posterior Fossa ◽

Arteriovenous Malformations ◽

Cerebellopontine Angle ◽

Anterior Part ◽

Content Type ◽

The Brain ◽

Fine Print

✓ We have operated on 12 of 14 cases of arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in the posterior fossa since 1968, with one death. The lesions were in the cerebellum in 10 cases (three anteromedial, one central, three lateral, and three posteromedial), and in the cerebellopontine angle in two; in two cases the lesions were directly related to the brain stem. The AVM's in the anterior part of the cerebellum were operated on through a transtentorial occipital approach.

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Abstract TP147: Central Post Stroke Pain: A Systematic Review

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.48.suppl_1.tp147 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 48 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Jonathan Singer ◽

Alyssa Conigliaro ◽

Elizabeth Spina ◽

Susan Law ◽

Steven Levine

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Brain Imaging ◽

Pain Scale ◽

Post Stroke ◽

Underlying Causes ◽

Single Question ◽

Thalamic Region ◽

The Brain ◽

A Current

Background: Central Post Stroke Pain (CPSP) is reportedly due to strokes in the thalamic region (Dishinbition Theory); however, the Central Imbalance Theory states that CPSP is due to damage to the spinothalamic pathway (STP). Aims: 1) Clarify the role of thalamic strokes and STP damage in CPSP patients. 2) Gain a current understanding of anatomic substrates, brain imaging, and treatment of CPSP. Methods: Two independent reviewers systematically reviewed PUBMED, CINAHL and Web of Science for studies including original, clinical studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using PRISMA guidelines. Studies had to assess CPSP, using a single question or pain scale. Results: Search from January – July 2016, identifying 731 publications. We extracted data from 23 studies and categorized the articles’ aims into 4 sections: somatosensory deficits (5 studies), STP (3 studies), brain imaging (7 studies), and RCTs (8 studies). Somatosensory studies showed high rates of CPSP; however, the underlying causes of these deficits were unclear. Most studies did not refer to stroke location as playing a role in CPSP, but that pathways may. STP studies displayed consistent evidence that the STP plays a major role in CPSP, delineating that CPSP can occur even when the stroke is not in the thalamic region but in other regions (e.g. cerebellum, basal ganglia, medulla). Four of the brain imaging studies found CPSP not related and 3 found it was related to thalamic strokes. All 7 studies had major limitations including sample size, no control groups, and selection bias. RCTs were mostly negative, but brain stem and motor cortex stimulation studies showed the most promise. Conclusions: While CPSP has been linked to the thalamic region since the early 1900’s, the peer-reviewed literature showed equivocal results when examining location of stroke. Our systematic review suggests damage to the STP is associated with CPSP and this could provide insights into mechanisms and treatment. Moreover, historical connection of strokes in the thalamic region and CPSP should be reevaluated as many studies noted that strokes in other regions of the brain also produce CPSP.

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