BACKGROUND: Chronic hypertension and anticoagulation are important risk factors for the development of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Spontaneous ICH occurring in the Emergency Department (ED) following a normal unenhanced computed tomography (CT) scan of the brain and an acute blood pressure (BP) surge is exceedingly rare and has, to our knowledge, never been reported in the literature. METHODS: Single case observation in a suburban tertiary care medical center. RESULTS: A neurologically intact 72-year-old man whose BP and neurologic status were monitored during an ED evaluation suddenly became unresponsive following an acute BP surge. A CT of the brain shortly before the episode was normal; following the episode, a repeat CT demonstrated a large right ganglionic ICH. CONCLUSIONS: We present a rare case of an elderly man on warfarin who developed a spontaneous ICH during an ED evaluation following an acute BP surge. We propose that the ICH occurred as a result of the BP surge and was contributed to by warfarin anticoagulation.
BACKGROUND: Chronic hypertension and anticoagulation are important risk factors for the development of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Spontaneous ICH occurring in the Emergency Department (ED) following a normal unenhanced computed tomography (CT) scan of the brain and an acute blood pressure (BP) surge is exceedingly rare and has, to our knowledge, never been reported in the literature. METHODS: Single case observation in a suburban tertiary care medical center. RESULTS: A neurologically intact 72-year-old man whose BP and neurologic status were monitored during an ED evaluation suddenly became unresponsive following an acute BP surge. A CT of the brain shortly before the episode was normal; following the episode, a repeat CT demonstrated a large right ganglionic ICH. CONCLUSIONS: We present a rare case of an elderly man on warfarin who developed a spontaneous ICH during an ED evaluation following an acute BP surge. We propose that the ICH occurred as a result of the BP surge and was contributed to by warfarin anticoagulation.
Authors: Patrick C Hsieh; Issam A Awad; Christopher C Getch; Bernard R Bendok; Szymon S Rosenblatt; H Hunt Batjer Journal: Neurol Clin Date: 2006-11 Impact factor: 3.806
Authors: Enrique C Leira; Aninda B Acharya; Salvador Cruz-Flores; Osamah J Albaker; Venkat K Rao; Saleem I Abdulrauf Journal: Neurocrit Care Date: 2005 Impact factor: 3.210