Hemorrhagic Presentation Research Articles

Characteristics of Retrobulbar Hemorrhage Presentation in the Emergency Department.

To describe demographic and clinical features of emergency department patients presenting with fracture-associated (FA) or fracture-independent retrobulbar hemorrhage (RBH). The Nationwide Emergency Department Sample database 2018 and 2019 was used to compare demographic and clinical features of patients with fracture-independent RBH and FA RBH. A total of 444 fracture-independent and 359 FA RBH patients were identified. Demographics such as age distribution, gender, and payer type differed significantly, with young (21-44 years), privately insured males more likely to develop FA RBH and the elderly (65+ years) more likely to develop fracture-independent RBH. Prevalence of hypertension and anticoagulation did not differ, but substance use and ocular-related injuries were more prevalent in the FA RBH. Presentations of RBH differ in demographic and clinical features. Further research is needed to explore trends and guide decision-making in the emergency department.

Neonatal Intraventricular Hemorrhage Presenting as Pyrexia of Newborn: A Case Report

Abstract: 
 Background Temperature instability is a relatively common presenting symptom in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with sepsis being one of the major etiologies that need to be ruled out. However, an important differential diagnosis is a central fever. Many cases of Intracranial Hemorrhage/Intraventricular Hemorrhage (ICH/IVH) present with temperature dysregulation with no other clear associated symptoms, and cranial imaging for early identification and treatment of ICH/IVH is crucial. 
 Case report A 3-day-old male born at 33 weeks and four days of gestation who was admitted to the neonatal critical care unit due to prematurity and respiratory distress was noted to be febrile during the fourth hospital day. The septic screen was negative, and the patient continued to spike fever while on broad-spectrum antimicrobial treatment. Due to an unexplained drop in his hematocrit, cranial ultrasound was done, and grade III IVH was identified. The patient continued to improve clinically, but the exact etiology of his IVH was not identified. His fever resolved without interventions, and his IVH continued to decrease in size. Serial cranial imaging was done in NICU, and no neurosurgical interventions were warranted. He was referred to neurosurgery and neurology and followed in the infant’s high-risk clinic. 
 Discussion Sepsis is the top of differentials when managing a newborn infant in NICU. However, we must always keep our minds open to other differentials, including central hyperthermia. Extreme prematurity is a major risk factor for ICH/IVH in the neonatal period; nonetheless, other risk factors are identified, and many cases of ICH/IVH had no identified causative factor or even risk factors. 
 Conclusion Identifying clinical presentation and risk factors associated with ICH and IVH in NICU patients is crucial for early diagnosis and offers appropriate management. A high index of suspicion is required to promptly diagnose ICH/IVH resulting in central fever and avoid unnecessary workup and treatment.

The third Intensive Care Bundle with Blood Pressure Reduction in Acute Cerebral Haemorrhage Trial (INTERACT3): an international, stepped wedge cluster randomised controlled trial

Early control of elevated blood pressure is the most promising treatment for acute intracerebral haemorrhage. We aimed to establish whether implementing a goal-directed care bundle incorporating protocols for early intensive blood pressure lowering and management algorithms for hyperglycaemia, pyrexia, and abnormal anticoagulation, implemented in a hospital setting, could improve outcomes for patients with acute spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage. We performed a pragmatic, international, multicentre, blinded endpoint, stepped wedge cluster randomised controlled trial at hospitals in nine low-income and middle-income countries (Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Sri Lanka, and Viet Nam) and one high-income country (Chile). Hospitals were eligible if they had no or inconsistent relevant, disease-specific protocols, and were willing to implement the care bundle to consecutive patients (aged ≥18 years) with imaging-confirmed spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage presenting within 6 h of the onset of symptoms, had a local champion, and could provide the required study data. Hospitals were centrally randomly allocated using permuted blocks to three sequences of implementation, stratified by country and the projected number of patients to be recruited over the 12 months of the study period. These sequences had four periods that dictated the order in which the hospitals were to switch from the control usual care procedure to the intervention implementation of the care bundle procedure to different clusters of patients in a stepped manner. To avoid contamination, details of the intervention, sequence, and allocation periods were concealed from sites until they had completed the usual care control periods. The care bundle protocol included the early intensive lowering of systolic blood pressure (target <140 mm Hg), strict glucose control (target 6·1-7·8 mmol/L in those without diabetes and 7·8-10·0 mmol/L in those with diabetes), antipyrexia treatment (target body temperature ≤37·5°C), and rapid reversal of warfarin-related anticoagulation (target international normalised ratio <1·5) within 1 h of treatment, in patients where these variables were abnormal. Analyses were performed according to a modified intention-to-treat population with available outcome data (ie, excluding sites that withdrew during the study). The primary outcome was functional recovery, measured with the modified Rankin scale (mRS; range 0 [no symptoms] to 6 [death]) at 6 months by masked research staff, analysed using proportional ordinal logistic regression to assess the distribution in scores on the mRS, with adjustments for cluster (hospital site), group assignment of cluster per period, and time (6-month periods from Dec 12, 2017). This trial is registered at Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03209258) and the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR-IOC-17011787) and is completed. Between May 27, 2017, and July 8, 2021, 206 hospitals were assessed for eligibility, of which 144 hospitals in ten countries agreed to join and were randomly assigned in the trial, but 22 hospitals withdrew before starting to enrol patients and another hospital was withdrawn and their data on enrolled patients was deleted because regulatory approval was not obtained. Between Dec 12, 2017, and Dec 31, 2021, 10 857 patients were screened but 3821 were excluded. Overall, the modified intention-to-treat population included 7036 patients enrolled at 121 hospitals, with 3221 assigned to the care bundle group and 3815 to the usual care group, with primary outcome data available in 2892 patients in the care bundle group and 3363 patients in the usual care group. The likelihood of a poor functional outcome was lower in the care bundle group (common odds ratio 0·86; 95% CI 0·76-0·97; p=0·015). The favourable shift in mRS scores in the care bundle group was generally consistent across a range of sensitivity analyses that included additional adjustments for country and patient variables (0·84; 0·73-0·97; p=0·017), and with different approaches to the use of multiple imputations for missing data. Patients in the care bundle group had fewer serious adverse events than those in the usual care group (16·0% vs 20·1%; p=0·0098). Implementation of a care bundle protocol for intensive blood pressure lowering and other management algorithms for physiological control within several hours of the onset of symptoms resulted in improved functional outcome for patients with acute intracerebral haemorrhage. Hospitals should incorporate this approach into clinical practice as part of active management for this serious condition. Joint Global Health Trials scheme from the Department of Health and Social Care, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, and the Medical Research Council and Wellcome Trust; West China Hospital; the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia; Sichuan Credit Pharmaceutic and Takeda China.

Recurrence of arteriovenous malformations of the brain after complete surgical resection. Kuopio University Hospital experience and systematic review of the literature

Treatment for arteriovenous malformations of the brain (bAVMs) aims to achieve complete removal or occlusion of the lesion in order to eradicate the risk of rupture and subsequent morbidity associated with these lesions. Despite initially successful treatment, bAVMs may carry a risk of recurrence especially in younger patients. We studied the rate of recurrence of surgically treated bAVMs at Kuopio University Hospital (KUH) in 1981–2021. The study population was collected retrospectively from KUH databases and presented a cohort of 135 surgically treated bAVMs with complete occlusion of the lesion. We also performed a systematic literature review on this topic. In our series, 6 out of 135 (4.4%) patients with angiographically confirmed removal of the lesion later developed a recurrent bAVM with a median time to diagnosis of recurrence of 7.46 years. In pediatric patients, the rate was 5 out of 17 (29.4%). bAVM recurrence was associated with age (p = 0.001) and initial hemorrhagic presentation (p = 0.039). Median age of the study population was 37 years (min 0, max 70), and 51/135 (37.8%) of the patients were female. Seventeen (12.6%) of the 135 bAVM patients were considered pediatric (18 years old or younger) at the time of the operation. In the literature review, 79 of 1739 (4.5%) of surgically treated patients later developed a recurrence with a mean delay of 3.1 years until diagnosis of recurrence. Young surgically treated bAVM patients with a hemorrhagic presentation at initial diagnosis are at a relatively high risk of bAVM recurrence. Follow-up imaging should be arranged for these patients in order to prevent rupture from a recurrent bAVM and subsequent morbidity.

Patients with COVID-19 Infection and Stroke have Higher than Expected Mortality, Regardless of the Primary Presentation (P14-5.028)

<h3>Objective:</h3> We aimed to characterize patients with COVID-19 and stroke and compare outcomes with patients with stroke only in the hospital setting. <h3>Background:</h3> COVID-19 infection is associated with a hypercoagulable state which results in thrombotic events, such as ischemic stroke. However, few studies have reported patient outcomes based on the primary presentation (COVID-19 or stroke first), and the association between COVID-19 and hemorrhagic stroke in the hospital setting. <h3>Design/Methods:</h3> We retrospectively reviewed and characterized all patients (N=66) who were COVID-19 positive at the time of ischemic or hemorrhagic presentation to a tertiary medical center between March 2020 and December 2020. This cohort was compared with patients who were COVID-19 negative at the time of stroke presentation in the same period (N=537). Statistical significance was evaluated using Pearson’s Chi-squared test with Yates’ continuity correction. <h3>Results:</h3> The mean age of stroke patients with COVID-19 was 62.1 years old with 62.1% identified as male and 37.9% as female, which is similar to the cohort without COVID-19 (mean age=64.7). Of the COVID-19 positive patients, multiple comorbidities were identified including hypertension (68.2%), diabetes mellitus (56.1%), and hyperlipidemia (36.4%). 22 (33.4%) patients initially presented with stroke and 44 (66.7%) initially presented with COVID-19. Overall mortality was 37.9% with 36.4% in the stroke-first cohort and 38.6% in the COVID-first cohort. This is significantly higher than patients who had a stroke only (17.3%, p&lt;0.001). In the stroke-first cohort, 22.7% patients presented with a hemorrhagic stroke and 77.2% with an ischemic stroke. In the COVID-first cohort, 38.6% experienced a hemorrhagic stroke while 61.4% had an ischemic stroke with similar mortality rates. <h3>Conclusions:</h3> In the early pandemic, we found that patients with COVID-19 infection and stroke, regardless of the primary presentation, had a higher mortality rate than patients with only stroke. Mortality rates were similar between patients with a hemorrhagic stroke and an ischemic stroke. <b>Disclosure:</b> Miss Liu has nothing to disclose. Ms. Gillette has nothing to disclose. The institution of Dr. Poisson has received research support from Biogen. Ms. Jeppson has nothing to disclose. Mrs. Ravare has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wohlauer has received publishing royalties from a publication relating to health care.

Management of Hemorrhagic Pancreatitis: Review of the Current Literature

Pancreatitis is the disease that affects the organ of the pancreas and should be given early attention, since its complications are quite lethal and can involve other organs. This research work provides a compilation of important information that expresses, through its development, the most common complications associated with pancreatitis, especially in its hemorrhagic presentation, as well as the necessary treatments used in this condition. In the course of pancreatitis, the first two to four days of symptoms are the most important because this is the period during which 15% to 25% of patients progress to its severe form. According to clinical and experimental data, this period is characterized by an initial state of hypovolemia. The morbidity of severe acute pancreatitis is known to occur in two stages. The first two weeks are characterized by a systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), which results from the release of inflammatory mediators. Organ failure is common and usually occurs even in the absence of infection. The early mortality rate is 42 to 60%. The second stage begins approximately two weeks after symptom onset and is characterized by sepsis-related complications resulting from infection of pancreatic necrosis. Therefore, there is an association with systemic complications, such as pulmonary failure, renal failure, and cardiovascular failure, known as multiple organ failure syndrome (MOFS).

In‐Room Direct Nidal Flow Measurement by Digital Subtraction Angiography to Estimate Hemorrhage Risk in Brain Arteriovenous Malformations: A Pilot Study

Background Noninvasive direct flow measurement from digital subtraction angiography (DSA) is challenging in brain arteriovenous malformations (BAVMs). We devised a method to estimate the blood volume flow rate of BAVM nidus using DSA, and assessed its association with angioarchitecture features in hemorrhagic presentation. Methods A total of 24 patients with BAVMs (10 controls and 14 with hemorrhage) who underwent DSA and magnetic resonance (MR) were retrospectively recruited. Fifteen patients underwent additional phase contrast MR imaging. The nidus volume was contoured on the MR time‐of‐flight data set. From DSA, flow velocities and volume flow rate were estimated along calibrated vascular center lines. The BAVM nidus volume flow rate was computed by adding feeding volume flow rate of arteries confirmed on DSA and then normalizing them with nidus volume to yield the nidus flow index. The correspondent phase‐contrast MR‐estimated nidus flow index was evaluated in each BAVM for comparison. Comparisons of hemodynamic parameters of the control and hemorrhage groups were conducted using the Wilcoxon rank sum test. A support vector machine was used for classifying BAVM patients using angioarchitectures and the nidus flow index. Results For the DSA results, the nidus flow index was higher in the hemorrhagic group than in the control group ( P =0.0272). The flow index determined using phase‐contrast MR and nidus volume were not significant. The classification accuracy was higher when the DSA nidus flow index was added into angioarchitecture. Conclusion The BAVM nidus flow index can be directly estimated from DSA and may be associated with hemorrhagic BAVM. Peritherapeutic hemodynamic assessment of BAVMs inside the angio‐suite is feasible.

Risk Factors for Significant Postoperative Hemorrhage After Pituitary Neuroendocrine Tumor Resection: A Case-Control Study of 1066 Surgeries.

Postoperative hemorrhage is a rare but potentially serious complication after pituitary surgery. The risk factors for this complication are mostly unknown, and further knowledge would help guide postoperative management. To investigate the perioperative risks and clinical presentation of significant postoperative hemorrhage (SPH) after endonasal surgery for pituitary neuroendocrine tumors. A population of 1066 patients undergoing endonasal (microscopic and endoscopic) surgery for pituitary neuroendocrine tumor resection at a high-volume academic center was reviewed. SPH cases were defined as postoperative hematoma evident on imaging requiring return to the operating room for evacuation. Patient and tumor characteristics were analyzed with uni- and multivariable logistic regression, and postoperative courses were descriptively examined. Ten patients were found to have SPH. On univariable analysis, these cases were significantly more likely to present with apoplexy ( P = .004), have larger tumors ( P < .001), and lower gross total resection rates ( P = .019). A multivariate regression analysis showed that tumor size (odds ratio 1.94, P = .008) and apoplexy at presentation (odds ratio 6.00, P = .018) were significantly associated with higher odds of SPH. The most common symptoms for patients with SPH were vision deficits and headache, and the median time for symptom onset was 1 day after surgery. Larger tumor size and presentation with apoplexy were associated with clinically significant postoperative hemorrhage. Patients presenting with pituitary apoplexy are more likely to experience a significant postoperative hemorrhage and should be carefully monitored for headache and vision changes in the days after surgery.

Hemorrhagic presentation of previously silent brain tumors

Introduction and objectivesAcute presentation with intracranial hemorrhage owing to a previously silent brain tumor (BT) is rare. Although any BT can bleed, the frequency and type of bleeding varies across tumor types. Materials and methodsWe aimed to retrospectively review our experience with 55 patients with BTs presenting with ICH. ResultsSigns of increased intracranial pressure were the most common symptoms. The temporal lobe was the most common lesion site (n=22). Hemorrhages were mainly confined to the tumor margins (HCTs) (n=34). Extensive intraparenchymal hemorrhages (EIHs) were mainly associated with moderately/severely decreased levels of consciousness (LOCs) (n=15/16). High-grade glioma (HGGT) (n=25) was the leading pathological diagnosis followed by metastasis (MBT) (n=16/55). The hemorrhage type was associated with the pathological diagnosis of the tumor. Patients with HGGT (n=19/25) and MBT (n=9/16) mainly presented with HCTs, whereas low-grade gliomas (LGGT) primarily caused EIHs (n=6/7). ConclusionsHemorrhagic presentation is a rare occurrence in BTs. Among all, MBT and HGGT are responsible for majority of the cases. Importantly, despite their relatively benign characteristics, LGGTs mainly result in extensive parenchymal destruction once they bleed. Maximum surgical resection of hemorrhagic BTs and decompression of the affected brain regions followed by histological confirmation of the diagnosis should be the main goals of treatment in cases with hemorrhagic BTs.

European Stroke Organisation (ESO) Guidelines on Moyamoya angiopathy Endorsed by Vascular European Reference Network (VASCERN).

The European Stroke Organisation (ESO) guidelines on Moyamoya Angiopathy (MMA), developed according to ESO standard operating procedure and Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology, were compiled to assist clinicians in managing patients with MMA in their decision making. A working group involving neurologists, neurosurgeons, a geneticist and methodologists identified nine relevant clinical questions, performed systematic literature reviews and, whenever possible, meta-analyses. Quality assessment of the available evidence was made with specific recommendations. In the absence of sufficient evidence to provide recommendations, Expert Consensus Statements were formulated. Based on low quality evidence from one RCT, we recommend direct bypass surgery in adult patients with haemorrhagic presentation. For ischaemic adult patients and children, we suggest revascularization surgery using direct or combined technique rather than indirect, in the presence of haemodynamic impairment and with an interval of 6-12 weeks between the last cerebrovascular event and surgery. In the absence of robust trial, an Expert Consensus was reached recommending long-term antiplatelet therapy in non-haemorrhagic MMA, as it may reduce risk of embolic stroke. We also agreed on the utility of performing pre- and post- operative haemodynamic and posterior cerebral artery assessment. There were insufficient data to recommend systematic variant screening of RNF213 p.R4810K. Additionally, we suggest that long-term MMA neuroimaging follow up may guide therapeutic decision making by assessing the disease progression. We believe that this guideline, which is the first comprehensive European guideline on MMA management using GRADE methods will assist clinicians to choose the most effective management strategy for MMA.

External validation of the R2eD AVM scoring system to assess rupture risk in pediatric AVM patients.

The assessment of hemorrhagic risk is of central importance in the management of pediatric brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). A recently published scoring system, the R2eD AVM (race, exclusive deep location or not, AVM size < 3 or ≥ 3, venous drainage exclusively deep or not, and monoarterial feeding or >1 arterial feeders) considers patient race and AVM location, size, venous drainage, and arterial supply and was successfully externally validated for use in adults to predict the risk of AVM hemorrhagic presentation. In this study the authors sought to externally validate the R2eD AVM score for prediction of hemorrhagic risk in the pediatric AVM population. A pediatric database at Boston Children's Hospital was retrospectively reviewed for all patients with a diagnosis of intracranial AVM. Exclusion criteria included age > 21 years, multiple AVMs, and incomplete clinical/radiographic data. Demographic data and R2eD AVM score calculations were collected for all patients. Univariate binary logistic regression and multivariate stepwise backward elimination models were used to determine factors associated with hemorrhagic presentation. A total of 212 AVMs were identified in 212 patients with vascular anomalies from 1995 to 2021, and 144 patients met the inclusion criteria (74 [51.4%] male, 111 [77.1%] White), of whom 87 (60.4%) patients presented with rupture and 122 (84.7%) underwent resection. The mean age at surgery was 12 years (range 3 months to 20 years). The R2eD AVM scoring system was applied to each patient. The score components of size < 3 cm and exclusive deep venous drainage were significantly associated with rupture risk (p < 0.05). The complete model for the R2eD AVM score had an area under the curve of 0.671 (95% CI 0.586-0.757). This study demonstrated poor external validity of the R2eD AVM score in predicting pediatric AVM rupture risk. The results suggest that future studies are warranted to determine a better scoring method to capture pediatric rupture risk, given the significant differences in clinical presentation in pediatric compared with adult AVM patients.

Diagnostic neuroradiology of intracranial meningiomas presenting with hemorrhagic onset: a double center 14-year experience.

This study aims to increase awareness of the hemorrhagic presentation of intracranial meningiomas in the emergency department and present clues for neuroradiological diagnosis, which is crucial for pertinent management. We described the prevalence of hemorrhage in a large population of meningioma patients, with emphasis on clinical presentation, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance (MR), and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) findings. This retrospective analysis has been performed at two reference institutions between January 2002 and December 2015, and includes 1304 patients with histologically proven newly diagnosed intracranial meningioma. Clinical features and neuroradiological findings of intracranial meningiomas presenting with hemorrhage have been reviewed. Twenty-four patients (1.8%, 16 females, 8 males, age range: 29-88years) were found to have spontaneous hemorrhagic onset of the newly diagnosed meningioma. A sudden onset occurred in 23/24 patients. Sixteen patients showed isolated intralesional hemorrhage, four had subdural hematomas, and the remaining four presented combined intralesional and subarachnoid (n = 2) or intraventricular (n = 2) hemorrhages. In 13 patients, CT showed both the hemorrhage and the meningioma. In the other 11 patients, diagnosis was achieved by emergency or early surgery (n = 5), MRI (n = 5), and DSA (n = 1). The presence of an underlying meningioma has to be considered in the differential diagnosis of spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage, although this is a rare event. CT, MRI, and occasionally DSA were useful to obtain the diagnosis; however, in up to a fifth of patients, this was achieved at surgery.

Clinical Presentation, Treatment, and Outcome of Nontraumatic Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Patients with Preceding Antithrombotic Therapy.

With the aging of the population, the number of people taking antithrombotic drugs is increasing. Few reports have described the clinical presentation, treatment, and outcomes of nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in patients with preceding antithrombotic therapy. This study included 459 patients with nontraumatic SAH who had been treated between April 2009 and May 2021. Overall, 39 of the 459 patients with aneurysmal SAH were on antithrombotic therapy before ictus (8.5%). Therefore, we classified patients into two groups: Group A (n = 39), patients with preceding antithrombotic therapy and Group B (n = 420), patients without preceding antithrombotic therapy. Hunt and Kosnik (H&K) grade on admission was significantly higher in Group A than in Group B (p = 0.02). Patients in Group A more frequently received endovascular treatment. The rate of endovascular therapy for symptomatic vasospasm after SAH was significantly lower in Group A (2.6%) than in Group B (15.5%; p = 0.03). The outcomes at 3 months after onset were significantly poorer in Group A patients than in Group B patients (p = 0.03). Patients with preceding antithrombotic drugs tended to be at greater risk of unfavorable outcomes, but this difference was not significant in the univariate analysis. In the multivariate analysis, patient age, H&K grade ≥4, and subdural hematoma remained as risk factors for poor outcomes; however, preceding use of antithrombotic drugs was not a significant risk factor.

Dyskinesia as a unique presentation of subarachnoid hemorrhage: a case report

BackgroundSubarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a diagnosis that emergency physicians must have a high index of suspicion for. Many common chief complaints such as headache, nausea, altered mental status, and even syncope may alert clinicians to the possibility of a SAH.Case presentationThe authors present an unusual case of SAH in a patient presenting with acute dyskinesia and altered mental status, which has seldom been documented as the presenting feature of SAH, as well as the diagnostic pitfalls encountered in assessing this patient.ConclusionEmergency physicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for dangerous pathology in cases without a clear etiology; they should also utilize metacognition to assess their own biases and thought patterns so as to avoid missing critical diagnoses.

The Clinical Presentation and Management of Postpartum Haemorrhage: A Single Center Experience

The Clinical Presentation and Management of Postpartum Haemorrhage: A Single Center Experience

Sneezing: a case report of an unusual presentation for vocal cord hemorrhage

Background: Vocal cord hemorrhages are due to the rupture of the blood vessel within the submucosa of the vocal fold. It is common in singers, post upper respiratory tract infections and in patients on anticoagulation. In this case report, we present an unusual presentation of a vocal cord hemorrhage following a sneeze. Case Report: This paper presents the case of a 34-year-old male who presented with change of the quality of his voice and throat pain following a sneeze. He was found to have right vocal cord hemorrhage on nasoendoscopy and was managed with total voice rest and rehydration. Patient made full recovery following conservative management. Conclusion: This case report is important as it highlights sneezing as a mechanism of vocal cord hemorrhage. It also shows the importance of having a low index of suspicion for performing nasoendoscopy following voice changes.

An Atypical Manifestation of Pheochromocytoma Crisis: Acute Delirium

Pheochromocytoma is a rare neuroendocrine tumor presenting with a classical triad of symptoms. In 10% of the cases the presentation can be atypical, and the diagnosis is often missed for several years. Most common neurological manifestations are haemorrhage, seizures, etc., but pheochromocytoma crisis presenting as delirium has been infrequently reported. We present a case of a middle-aged female who presented with hypertensive emergency and acute confusional state. Other causes of delirium were ruled out in the patient and a timely diagnosis of pheochromocytoma was made with CT abdomen showed a large right suprarenal mass which was confirmed on 123I-MIBG scan and supported by elevated plasma metanephrines. She responded to alpha and beta blockers following which her blood pressure spikes were controlled and subsequently her sensorium improved significantly. Patient underwent surgical resection of the tumor and was followed up after 2 weeks with her blood pressure controlled without any medications.

Bullous skin signs and laboratory surgical indicators can quickly and effectively differentiate necrotizing fasciitis from cellulitis

ObjectivesThe purpose of this prospective study was to investigate the different microorganisms associated with mortality, to evaluate the bullous skin sign, and to identify the positive predictive factors for differentiating necrotizing fasciitis (NF) from cellulitis on initial onset at the emergency department. MethodsThis prospective study was conducted in 145 consecutive patients with NF and 159 patients with cellulitis. Age, sex, comorbidities, infection site, microbiological results, condition of skin lesions, laboratory findings, vital signs, and clinical outcomes were compared between the two groups at the time of admission to the emergency room. ResultsA total of 15 patients in the NF group and two patients in the cellulitis group died, resulting in a mortality rate of 10.3% and 1.3%, respectively. The NF group had a significantly higher incidence of white blood cell counts, band form neutrophil, and C-reactive protein than the patients in the cellulitis group. Hemorrhagic bullae presentation appeared to have significantly associated with NF and death. ConclusionThe following diagnostic indicators can be effectively used to differentiate NF from cellulitis at the initial onset: presence of hemorrhagic bullae, white blood cell counts >11,000 cells/mm3, band forms >0%, C-reactive protein >100 mg/l, and systolic blood pressure ≤90 mm Hg at the time of consultation.

Prediction of new cerebral ischemic lesion after carotid artery stenting: a high-resolution vessel wall MRI-based radiomics analysis.

Carotid artery stenting (CAS) is an established treatment for local stenosis. The most common complication is new ipsilateral ischemic lesions (NIILs). This study aimed to develop models considering lesion morphological and compositional features, and radiomics to predict NIILs. One hundred and forty-six patients who underwent brain MRI and high-resolution vessel wall MR imaging (hrVWI) before and after CAS were retrospectively recruited. Lumen and outer wall boundaries were segmented on hrVWI as well as atherosclerotic components. A traditional model was constructed with patient clinical information, and lesion morphological and compositional features. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm was performed to determine key radiomics features for reconstructing a radiomics model. The model in predicting NIILs was trained and its performance was tested. Sixty-one patients were NIIL-positive and eighty-five negative. Volume percentage of intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH) and patients' clinical presentation (symptomatic/asymptomatic) were risk factors of NIILs. The traditional model considering these two features achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.778 and 0.777 in the training and test cohorts, respectively. Twenty-two key radiomics features were identified and the model based on these features achieved an AUC of 0.885 and 0.801 in the two cohorts. The AUCs of the combined model considering IPH volume percentage, clinical presentation, and radiomics features were 0.893 and 0.842 in the training and test cohort respectively. Compared with traditional features (clinical and compositional features), the combination of traditional and radiomics features improved the power in predicting NIILs after CAS. • Volume percentage of IPH and symptomatic events were independent risk factors of new ipsilateral ischemic lesions (NIILs). • Radiomics features derived from carotid artery high-resolution vessel wall imaging had great potential in predicting NIILs after CAS. • The combination model with radiomics and traditional features further improved the diagnostic performance than traditional features alone.

Clinical significance of “periventricular collateral enhancement sign” in symptomatic moyamoya disease: A vessel wall imaging study

BackgroundPeriventricular collaterals are associated with high risk of hemorrhagic stroke in adult moyamoya disease (MMD). However, the clinical significance of the periventricular collateral enhancement sign (PCES), which indicates wall enhancement of periventricular collaterals on contrast-enhanced vessel wall imaging (VWI), has yet to be determined. MethodsThirty-seven patients with MMD with acute neurological symptoms were consecutively recruited. Periventricular collaterals including lenticulostriatal artery, thalamic artery, and choroidal artery collaterals were evaluated on digital subtraction angiography, and then PCES was detected on pre- and postcontrast VWI. First, the association between PCES and hemorrhagic presentation was evaluated using multivariate analyses. Second, two raters investigated the culprit vessels responsible for bleeding in hemorrhagic MMD using the Cohen kappa statistic. ResultsFifteen sites of PCES on postcontrast VWI were observed in 15 patients. Multivariate analysis revealed that hemorrhagic presentation was the only independent factor for PCES (OR = 37.3, 95%CI = 3.9–113, p =.002). In patients with hemorrhagic presentation (n = 20), the identification rate of the ruptured vessel was 80% by rater 1, with excellent agreement. (inter-rater, κ = 0.86, 95%CI = 0.59–1.00; intra-rater, κ = 0.83, 95%CI = 0.50–1.00). Choroidal (50%) and thalamic artery collaterals (15%) were the most common and the second most common types of culprit vessels. Inter-rater and intra-rater reliabilities for the classification of culprit vessels were also excellent (intra-rater, κ = 0.86, 95%CI = 0.67–1.00; inter-rater, κ = 0.93, 95%CI = 0.79–1). ConclusionAcute hemorrhagic stroke in MMD is independently associated with PCES on postcontrast VWI. PCES can help to detect the culprit vessels that are responsible for hemorrhage in patients with MMD.