scholarly journals Is computed tomography of the brain necessary in patients with clinically suspected depressed skull fracture and no focal neurological deficit?

2010 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 28
Author(s):  
J A Rabie ◽  
S Otto ◽  
A J Le Roux
Keyword(s):  
Computed Tomography ◽  
Neurological Deficit ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Skull Fracture ◽  
Neurological Deficits ◽  
Ct Scans ◽  
Trauma Patients ◽  
Focal Neurological Deficit ◽  
Depressed Skull Fracture ◽  
The Brain

Objective. The objective of the study was to determine whether computed tomography (CT) of the brain is necessary in all head trauma patients with clinically suspected depressed skull fractures, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores of 13 and above, and no focal neurological deficits. Design. A retrospective descriptive analysis was undertaken of patients of all ages who presented at the trauma unit of the Pelonomi Hospital Complex in Bloemfontein with GCS of 13 to 15, depressed skull fracture, no clinical focal neurological deficit, and who also underwent CT of the brain. Data were obtained from patients' files, and radiological reports and were analysed by the Department of Statistics, University of the Free State. Results. One hundred and thirty-one patients were included in the study, of whom 56 (42.7%) were found to have substantial intracranial pathology as determined by CT. Twenty-four (18.3%) of these patients had a GCS of 13, of whom 6 (25%) had normal CT scans and 18 (75%) intracranial pathology. Twenty-eight (21.37%) of the 56 patients with intracranial pathology had a GCS of 14, of whom 11 (39.3%) had normal CT scans and 17 (60.7%) intracranial pathology. A GCS of 15 was determined in 79 (60.3%) of the 131 patients, of whom 58 (73.4%) had normal CT scans and 21 (26.6%) intracranial pathology. Conclusion. Based on our findings, CT imaging of the brain in patients with a clinically suspected depressed skull fracture despite any clinical neurological deficit and a GCS of 13 or more is warranted in our setting. The likelihood of injury on CT correlated inversely with the GCS.

A primer in interpretation of head CT scans

2019 ◽  
Vol 80 (11) ◽  
pp. C156-C161
Author(s):  
Saminderjit Kular ◽  
Andrew Martin
Keyword(s):  
Computed Tomography ◽  
Ct Scan ◽  
Intracranial Haemorrhage ◽  
Skull Fracture ◽  
Ct Scans ◽  
Head Ct ◽  
Scanning Time ◽  
Stroke Team ◽  
Ct Head ◽  
The Brain

Over recent years with the development of increasingly efficient scanners, the computed tomography (CT) scan of the head has become one of the most commonly requested initial investigations, used to provide an overview of the brain and its surrounding structures. In particular, the CT head scan has become significant in the trauma setting. With short scanning time, an investigation to confirm or exclude intracranial haemorrhage, skull fracture or stroke can now be performed in a matter of seconds. This article provides physicians with a structure for reading a CT head scan, to help identify key findings that may warrant further specialist neurosurgical or stroke team referral.

scholarly journals Cerebral Cavernous Hemangioma in a Dog

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viviane Motta dos Santos Moretto ◽  
Luciana Maria Curtio Soares ◽  
Esthefanie Nunes ◽  
Uiara Hanna Araújo Barreto ◽  
Valéria Régia Franco Sousa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Computed Tomography ◽  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Cavernous Hemangioma ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Ct Scanning ◽  
Ct Scans ◽  
Elastic Fibers ◽  
Post Contrast ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Brain

Background: Cerebral cavernous hemangioma is a rare neoplasm of vascular origin in the brain, characterized by abnormally dilated vascular channels surrounded by endothelium without muscle or elastic fibers. Presumptive diagnosis is performed by magnetic resonance or computed tomography (CT) scanning and can be confirmed by histopathology. The prognosis of intracranial cavernous hemangioma is poor, with progression of clinical signs culminating in spontaneous death or euthanasia. The purpose of this paper is to report a case of cerebral cavernous hemangioma in a dog, presenting the clinical findings, tomographic changes, and pathological findings.Case: This case involved a 2-year-old medium sized mixed breed female dog presenting with apathy, hyporexia, ataxia, bradycardia, dyspnea, and seizure episodes for three days. Hemogram and serum biochemistry of renal and hepatic function and urinalysis did not reveal any visible changes. CT scanning was also performed. The scans revealed a hyperdense nodule of 15.9 x 14 mm, with well defined borders, and a hypodense halo without post-contrast enhancement and mass effect in the right parietal lobe was observed in both transverse and coronal sections. Based on the image presented in the CT scans, the nodule was defined as a hemorrhagic brain lesion. The animal died after a seizure. The right telencephalon was subjected to necropsy, which revealed a reddish-black wel-defined nodule 1.7 cm in diameter extending from the height of the piriform lobe to the olfactory trine at the groove level and extending towards the lateral ventricle, with slight compression and deformation of the thalamus but no other macroscopic alterations in the other organs. The histopathology indicated that this nodular area in the encephalus contained moderate, well-delimited but unencapsulated cellularity, composed of large vascular spaces paved with endothelial cells filled with erythrocytes, some containing eosinophilic fibrillar material (fibrin) and others with organized thrombus containing occasional neutrophil aggregates. The endothelial cells had cytoplasm with indistinct borders, elongated nuclei, scanty crust-like chromatin, and cellular pleomorphism ranging from discrete to moderate, without mitotic figures.Discussion: The histological findings characterized the morphological changes in the brain as cavernous hemangioma, and the growth and compression of this neoplasm were considered the cause of the clinical signs of this dog. The main complaint was seizures, although ataxia and lethargy were also noted. These clinical signs are often related to changes in the anterior brain and brainstem. The literature does not list computed tomography as a complementary diagnostic method in cases of cerebral cavernous hemangioma in dogs, but CT scanning was useful in confirming cerebral hemorrhage. The main differential diagnosis for cerebral cavernous hemangioma would be a hamartoma, but what differentiates them histologically is the presence of normal interstices between the blood vessels, since no intervening neural tissue occurs in the case of cerebral hemangioma. Therefore, even in the absence of immunohistochemistry to more confidently confirm a cavernous hemangioma, the clinical signs, CT scans and especially the pathological findings were consistent with a case of cerebral cavernous hemangioma, a benign neoplasm with a poor prognosis due to the severe neurological changes it causes and its difficult treatment.

Delayed Neurological Deterioration after Depressed Fracture over Superior Sagittal Sinus: Our Experience with 13 Patients

2020 ◽  
Vol 81 (04) ◽  
pp. 324-329
Author(s):  
Ahmed Elshanawany ◽  
Mahmoud Ragab
Keyword(s):  
Computed Tomography ◽  
Superior Sagittal Sinus ◽  
Skull Fracture ◽  
Csf Pressure ◽  
Visual Deterioration ◽  
Depressed Skull Fracture ◽  
Sagittal Sinus ◽  
Depressed Fracture ◽  
Neurologic Deterioration ◽  
Management Protocol

Abstract Objective To present our experience in the diagnosis and management protocol of 13 patients with a depressed skull fracture over the superior sagittal sinus (SSS) who developed delayed neurologic deterioration. Patients and Methods This retrospective study was conducted in the Neurosurgical Department, Assiut University Hospitals, between May 2012 and May 2017. All patients with a depressed skull fracture over the SSS were reviewed. Only those patients who were neurologically intact after trauma but suffered delayed neurologic deterioration were included in this study. Preoperative characteristics of age, sex, cause of trauma, type and site of the depressed skull fracture, and clinical presentation were reviewed and evaluated. Neuroimaging including brain computed tomography and computed tomography venography were evaluated. Results Of 612 patients with depressed skull fractures admitted to our department, 63 had the fracture segment on the SSS. Thirteen patients, nine males and four females, met the inclusion criteria (age range: 5–42 years). The most common cause of trauma was assault from others (seven patients). Eight patients had a compound depressed fracture; the other five fractures were simple. Interval between trauma and neurologic deterioration ranged between 4 days and 3 weeks. Clinical deterioration included decrease of consciousness, headache, blurred vision, and repeated vomiting. Deterioration of consciousness was seen in four patients. Eight patients had sixth cranial nerve palsy. Visual deterioration was seen in four patients. All the included patients were operated on for elevation of the depressed segment. Eleven patients improved; two patients who presented initially with visual deterioration did not improve. Their visual deterioration persisted after surgery. For both these patients, lumbar puncture revealed high cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure. Clinical improvement followed the insertion of a thecoperitoneal shunt. Conclusion Increased intracranial pressure (ICP) may follow a depressed fracture over the SSS. It may occur immediately after trauma or later. Surgical decompression with elevation of the depressed segment is indicated. Persistence of manifestations of raised ICP despite elevation of the depressed segment indicates the occurrence of an SSS thrombosis. CSF pressure should be measured to confirm the diagnosis and consider a thecoperitoneal shunt.

scholarly journals Cerebrovascular events in COVID-19 patients

2020 ◽  
Vol 90 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajay Kumar Mishra ◽  
Kamal Kant Sahu ◽  
Anu Anna George ◽  
Jennifer Sargent ◽  
Amos Lal
Keyword(s):  
Computed Tomography ◽  
Vascular Injury ◽  
Neurological Deficits ◽  
Severe Illness ◽  
Cytokine Storm ◽  
Neurological Manifestations ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Cerebrovascular Events ◽  
Pubmed Database ◽  
The Brain

Neurological manifestations in patients with COVID–19 are more frequently being reported. Cerebrovascular events have been reported in around 3% of patients. In this review we summarize the published literature on cerebrovascular events in patients with COVID-19 as available on the PubMed database. So far, 3 studies have reported cerebrovascular events. Cerebrovascular events were identified on screening patients with decreased consciousness or in the presence of focal neurological deficits. These events were common in elderly, critically ill patients and in patients with prior cardio-cerebrovascular comorbidities. The diagnosis of cerebrovascular events was confirmed with computed tomography of the brain in most studies reporting neurological events. Multiple pathological mechanisms have been postulated regarding the process of neurological and vascular injury among which cytokine storm is shown to correlate with mortality. Patients with severe illness are found to have a higher cardio- cerebrovascular comorbidity. With an increasing number of cases and future prospective studies, the exact mechanism by which these cerebrovascular events occur and attribute to the poor outcome will be better understood.

Neurological and neuropsychological examination and outcome after use of an intra-aortic filter device during cardiac surgery

Perfusion ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 18 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 55-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Eifert ◽  
H Reichenspurner ◽  
T Pfefferkorn ◽  
B Baur ◽  
C von Schlippenbach ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cardiac Surgery ◽  
Artery Bypass ◽  
Bypass Graft ◽  
Neurological Deficits ◽  
Focal Neurological Deficit ◽  
Group I ◽  
Tenfold Increase ◽  
Group Ii ◽  
Magnet Resonance ◽  
The Brain

Cerebral embolization of particles after cardiac surgery is frequently associated with neurological deficits. Aortic crossclamp manipulation seems to be the most significant cause of emboli release during cardiac surgery. The goal of this study was to demonstrate whether the use of an intra-aortic filter device has an effect on the magnet resonance imaging (MRI) and functional neurological outcome. Twenty-four patients undergoing cardiosurgical procedures using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) were selected: coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery (n=17), aortic valve replacement (AVR) surgery (n= 4) or combined procedures (n=3). Patients were evaluated by diffusion weighted MRI of the brain, neurological examination and neuropsychological assessment regarding alertness as well as divided and selective attention before and five to seven days after surgery. The patients were divided into two groups. In group I, 12 patients received a filter through a modified 24 F arterial cannula immediately before the aortic crossclamp was released. Filters remained in the aorta until CPB was discontinued. Intraoperatively, bilateral middle cerebral artery transcranial Doppler (TCD) was monitored at baseline, at the beginning of CPB, at a timepoint when the aorta was crossclamped, when the filter was inserted and while the crossclamp was switched to partial clamping until the CPB was discontinued. TCD was used for detection of microembolic signals (MES). The captured material in the filter was examined histologically. Twelve patients served as controls without aortic filtration (group II). The MRI of the brain did not show any diffusion alterations in either group before or after surgery. No patient developed a focal neurological deficit or stroke. Intraoperative quantitative MES detection revealed a four to tenfold increase in patients of group I compared with group II (5 - 6 versus 0.5 - 1 MES/min) during the filter dwell time. There was no consistent pattern regarding the neurobehavioural sequelae. Filters showed arteriosclerotic debris in 75% of the patients. The use of the intra-aortic filter device did not show a positive effect on neurological, neuroradiographical and neuropsychological outcomes. The increase of the MES rate in group I patients may be due to microbubbles generated as microcavitations by the filter or the aortic filter cannula. The intra-aortic filter was able to capture atheromatous material in 75% of the patients.

scholarly journals The relationship between computed tomography measurement of the optic nerve sheath diameter and elevated intracranial pressure in non-trauma patients

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniël Luyt ◽  
Delmé Hurter ◽  
Gina Joubert
Keyword(s):  
Computed Tomography ◽  
Optic Nerve ◽  
Intracranial Pressure ◽  
Digital Images ◽  
Optic Nerve Sheath Diameter ◽  
Optic Nerve Sheath ◽  
Trauma Patients ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Nerve Sheath ◽  
The Brain

Background: The early detection and treatment of raised intracranial pressure (ICP) is critical in the prevention of mortality and morbidity as a result of secondary ischemic brain injury. Measuring the optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) on computed tomography (CT) to predict raised ICP may be useful in cases where routine CT investigations of the brain are indicated and invasive ICP monitoring is not available, or a lumbar puncture (LP) is contraindicated.Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if the ONSD can be measured on digital images obtained by routine CT investigations of the brain, to identify patients with non-traumatic causes of elevated ICP, and to provide the observer with a non-invasive, objective measurement to predict elevated ICP.Method: We conducted a cross-sectional, retrospective analysis of anonymised patient data, comparing the ONSD on CT imaging with the opening pressure manometry during LP on patients who presented with focal neurology or with a Glasgow coma scale score of less than 15. The study sample consisted of 67 patients, ≥18 years of age, treated at the emergency department of the Kimberly Hospital Complex from 01 March 2013 to 31 December 2014.Results: An ONSD measurement of ≥4.8 mm identified patients with an elevated ICP with a sensitivity of 92.9% and a specificity of 97.6%, using a 95% confidence interval. Raising the ONSD cut-off value to ≥5.0 mm decreased the sensitivity to 85.7% but increased the specificity to 100%, eliminating all patients with a normal ICP.Conclusion: The ONSD can be measured on digital images obtained by routine CT investigations of the brain to predict elevated ICP in non-trauma patients, ≥18 years of age, with acceptable sensitivity and specificity.

scholarly journals TOMOGRAPHIC MORPHOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE CRANIUM AND ITS CORRELATION WITH CRANIAL HALO USE IN ADULTS

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-14
Author(s):  
TIAGO FERREIRA DE ALMEIDA ◽  
HOMAR TOLEDO CHARAFEDDINE ◽  
FERNANDO FLORES DE ARAÚJO ◽  
ALEXANDRE FOGAÇA CRISTANTE ◽  
RAPHAEL MARTUS MARCON ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Computed Tomography ◽  
Morphological Study ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Parietal Bone ◽  
Frontal Bone ◽  
Ct Scans ◽  
Level Of Evidence ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Parietal Bones

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate using tomographic study the thickness of the cranial board at the insertions points of the cranial halo pins in adults Methods: This is a retrospective, cross-sectional, descriptive analysis of Computed Tomography (CT) scans of adult patients' crania. The study included adults between 20 and 50 years without cranial abnormalities. We excluded any exam with cranial abnormalities Results: We analyzed 50 CT scans, including 27 men and 23 women, at the original insertion points and alternative points (1 and 2 cm above the frontal and parietal bones). The average values were 7.4333 mm in the frontal bone and 6.0290 mm in the parietal bone Conclusion: There was no statistically significant difference between the classical and alternative points, making room for alternative fixings and safer introduction of the pins, if necessary. Level of Evidence II, Retrospective Study.

scholarly journals Persistent intrathecal interleukin-8 production in a patient with SARS-CoV-2-related encephalopathy presenting aphasia: a case report.

BMC Neurology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Takuya Kudo ◽  
Yuichi Hayashi ◽  
Kenjiro Kunieda ◽  
Nobuaki Yoshikura ◽  
Akio Kimura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Epileptic Seizures ◽  
Neurological Deficits ◽  
Central Nervous System Inflammation ◽  
Focal Neurological Deficit ◽  
Case Presentation ◽  
Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein 1 ◽  
Monocyte Chemoattractant ◽  
Consciousness Disturbance ◽  
The Brain

Abstract Background Neurological manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are increasingly recognized and include encephalopathy, although direct infection of the brain by SARS-CoV-2 remains controversial. We herein report the clinical course and cytokine profiles of a patient with severe SARS-CoV-2-related encephalopathy presenting aphasia. Case presentation An 81-year-old man developed acute consciousness disturbance and status epileptics several days after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Following treatment with remdesivir and dexamethasone, his consciousness and epileptic seizures improved; however, amnestic aphasia and agraphia remained. Two months after methylprednisolone pulse and intravenous immunoglobulin, his neurological deficits improved. We found increased levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), but not IL-2 and IL-10 in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and the levels of serum IL-6 and MCP-1 were much higher than those in the CSF. The level of IL-8 in the CSF after immunotherapy was four times higher than that before immunotherapy. Conclusion The cytokine profile of our patient was similar to that seen in severe SARS-CoV-2-related encephalopathy. We demonstrated (i) that the characteristic aphasia can occur as a focal neurological deficit associated with SARS-CoV-2-related encephalopathy, and (ii) that IL8-mediated central nervous system inflammation follows systemic inflammation in SARS-CoV-2-related encephalopathy and can persist and worsen even after immunotherapy. Monitoring IL-8 in CSF, and long-term corticosteroids may be required for treating SARS-CoV-2-related encephalopathy.

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