1.Co-infection with cryptococcal meningitis and Japanese encephalitis in an immunocompetent patient: A case report.
Golden Tamon-Gayo ; Randolf Fangonilo
Philippine Journal of Neurology 2022;25(2):17-20
Cryptococcal meningitis is a severe infection in both immunocompetent and
immunosuppressed hosts. This report is an unusual case of co-infection with cryptococcal
meningitis and Japanese encephalitis in a seronegative human immunodeficiency virus patient.
A 51-year-old human immunodeficiency virus-negative patient presented with high-grade fever,
nausea, vomiting, and later on, behavioral changes. A lumbar puncture was performed and
cerebrospinal fluid revealed the presence of Cryptococcus and Japanese encephalitis virus.
Treatment commenced with intravenous amphotericin B and flucytosine. Her condition initially
improved but later on deteriorated due to bacteremia (MRSA-mecA gene positive) and septic
shock which resulted in the patient’s demise. The occurrence of this co-infection in the absence
of HIV infection is rare and there was no documented case up to this date.
Meningitis, Cryptococcal
;
Encephalitis, Japanese
2.Thirteen-and-a-Half syndrome stroke: A case report.
Laurence Kristoffer J. Batino ; Golden Tamon-Gayo ; Randolf John Fangonilo
Philippine Journal of Neurology 2021;24(2):14-16
We describe a 52-year old woman who developed one- and-a-half syndrome with an ipsilateral
trigeminal and facial nerve palsy from a lacunar infarct of the left paramedian pontine area
likely involving the median-paramedian perforators of the basilar artery.
Stroke, Lacunar
;
Brain Stem
3.Direct carotid-cavernous fistula in a Filipino female presenting with simultaneous orbital/ocular, cavernous and cortical symptomatology without history of trauma: A case report.
Paulo L. Cataniag ; Debbie Liquete ; John Harold Hiyadan ; Randolf John Fangonilo
Philippine Journal of Neurology 2020;23(2):22-29
Carotid-cavernous fistula (CCF) is a rare and dangerous neurological disorder that arises due to
an abnormal communication between the internal carotid artery (ICA) or the external carotid artery (ECA)
and their branches and the cavernous sinus. It can either be a direct fistula (high-flow with acute
symptoms) most commonly resulting from trauma (70-90%) or an indirect fistula (low-flow with insidious
symptoms) secondary to hypertension, atherosclerosis and collagen vascular disorders. The shunting of
arterial blood into the venous system leads to venous hypertension causing various clinical manifestations
depending on the venous drainage patterns and the shunt flow. Increased anterior, posterior and superior
venous drainage results to orbital/ocular, cavernous and cortical symptomatology, respectively. This paper
aims to present a case of 58-year old Filipino female with a 2-day history of sudden, severe headache,
vomiting and blurring of vision followed by decrease in sensorium and sudden proptosis and chemosis of
the left eye. Patient had no co-morbidities, history of trauma, surgeries, facial skin infections or prior
febrile illness. The left eye had exophthalmos, subconjunctival hyperemia, scleral edema/chemosis and
ocular bruit. Neurologic examination showed a stuporous patient with multiple cranial nerve deficits
(impaired direct and consensual pupillary reflex left, complete ptosis left, sluggish corneal reflex left,
impaired oculocephalic reflex left), right hemiplegia and meningeal signs. Cranial Computed Tomography
(CT) Angiogram revealed an acute parenchymal hemorrhage in the left frontotemporal lobe with
subarachnoid component, with engorged left cavernous sinus and dilated left superior ophthalmic vein.
Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) was done revealing a direct type of left carotid-cavernous fistula
with massive ICA shunting to the cavernous sinus, superior ophthalmic vein and inferior petrosal sinus.
The clinical and radiographic evidence were consistent with a Direct/Type A CCF. Unique in this case was
a patient with no history of trauma presenting with simultaneous orbital/ocular, cavernous and cortical
symptomatology – a clinical picture of CCF that has never been documented in any literature nor included
in any classification system. The presence of all three symptomatology can be explained by a direct/highflow fistula that resulted to increased anterior, posterior and superior venous drainage as documented in
the DSA. In addition, spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage in CCF is exceptionally rare and it is the most
daunting symptomatology of this disease. With that, this specific case may pave the way to a new
classification scheme and determine its corresponding treatment approach.
Carotid-Cavernous Sinus Fistula
;
Cavernous Sinus