Interference with visual pathways is usually not caused by intracranial aneurysms. Aneurysms of the anterior communicating artery rarely produce visual symptoms and signs in spite of their proximity to the visual pathways. The reason may be that these aneurysms rupture and present with subarachnoid hemorrhage before becoming large enough to exert significant pressure on the chiasm or optic nerves. The visual symptoms would be presented as visual field defect or impaired vision. These can be explained as the result of direct compression of the optic pathways, ischemic changes in the visual pathways caused by severe vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage, or intraocular pathology such as retinal hemorrhage. 2 cases of anterior communicating artery aneurysms associated with visual symptoms are presented with a brief review of literatures.
Aneurysm ; Arteries ; Intracranial Aneurysm* ; Optic Nerve ; Pathology ; Retinal Hemorrhage ; Rupture ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Visual Fields ; Visual Pathways

Autopsy by forensic pathologist is a main mean currently to determine the cause of sudden unexpected death. Retinal examination is important but seldom performed during a forensic autopsy for various reasons. The value of retina examination has not been recognized. With invention of ophthalmic endoscopy and its subsequent application in postmortem retina examination, it has proved to be useful adjunct to determine the cause of death and to estimate the postmortem interval.
Adult ; Autopsy ; Cause of Death ; Craniocerebral Trauma/pathology* ; Decompression Sickness/pathology* ; Female ; Forensic Pathology/methods* ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Ophthalmoscopy ; Retina/pathology* ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage/pathology* ; Syndrome ; Vitreous Hemorrhage/pathology*

PURPOSE: To describe the therapeutic effect and possibility of the ultra-early surgery for poor-grade aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (Hunt-Hess grades IV - V). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nine cases with intracranial aneurysms, demonstrated by computed tomographic angiography (CTA), were treated by ultra-early surgery under general anesthesia within 24 hours from subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), 5 cases were treated within 6 hours and 4 cases in 6 - 24 hours. Preoperative Hunt-Hess grade: 6 cases were IV and 3 cases were V. The clinical outcome was evaluated by Glasgow Outcome Scores (GOS). RESULTS: In operation, difficult dissection occurred in 5 cases (55.6%), and rupture of aneurysm occurred and temporary obstructions were performed in 4 cases (44.4%). After clipping of aneurysm, 2 cases underwent V-P shunt because of hydrocephalus, pulmonary infection occurred in 3 cases, hypothalamus reaction accompanied with upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage in 2 cases. The clinical outcome were favorable (GOS 4 - 5) in 4 cases (44.4%), dissatisfied (GOS 2 - 3) in 3 cases (33.3%), and dead (GOS 1) in 2 cases (22.2%) when patients departed from our hospital. CONCLUSION: The ultra-early surgery can avoid early rebleeding of intracranial aneurysm, therefore, should be considered in the treatment of Hunt-Hess grade IV-V intracranial aneurysms. The appliance of CTA can make it possible to use of ultra-early surgery and improve the therapeutic effect.
Adult ; Aged ; Cerebral Angiography ; Female ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm/pathology/*surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage/pathology/*surgery

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) can be classified as traumatic SAH or spontaneous SAH based on etiology. The traumatic SAH is the common manifestation of head injury and difficult to make a diagnosis in forensic investigation. Based on practical experiences of forensic investigation and relevant references, the main points (SAH identification, examination, death mechanism) were summarized in this article. For the understanding, we try to classify the traumatic SAH into three subtypes: brain injury associated SAH, traumatic rupture of basal cerebral vessels SAH and traumatic focal SAH.
Aneurysm, Ruptured/complications* ; Cause of Death ; Craniocerebral Trauma/complications* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Forensic Pathology ; Hematoma, Epidural, Cranial/complications* ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm/complications* ; Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations/complications* ; Rupture/complications* ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage/pathology* ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage, Traumatic/pathology*

We present the case of a 23-year-old man who suddenly collapsed during a physical altercation with his friends while in a drunken state. The post-mortem computed tomography (CT) with angiography revealed acute basal subarachnoid hemorrhage with rupture of the left middle cerebral artery. On autopsy, the head, face, mandible and neck showed multifocal hemorrhages with fracture of the hyoid bone, and the pathologic findings of the brain was consistent with CT findings. However, the vascular rupture site was not observed macroscopically. On histologic examination, a microscopic focal rupture was identified at the proximal portion of the middle cerebral artery, and possibility of arteriopathy was considered. This case illustrates that other parts of intracerebral arteries (other than the vertebral arteries) can be the culprit of rupture in the case of traumatic basal subarachnoid hemorrhage, and the post-mortem angiographic findings can be helpful in targeting the site of vascular injury. Furthermore, meticulous sampling of intracranial vessels could help find the vascular rupture site and identify any histologic findings suspicious of arteriopathy. Therefore, we suggest that post-mortem angiography can be an effective and adjunctive tool for a tailored approach in finding the vascular injury, and that histologic examination of both the intracranial and extracranial arteries be important to medicolegally ensure the death of traumatic basal subarachnoid hemorrhage and to examine presence of arteriopathy as a predisposing factor.
Angiography ; Arteries ; Autopsy ; Brain ; Causality ; Forensic Pathology ; Friends ; Head ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hyoid Bone ; Mandible ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Neck ; Rupture ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage, Traumatic ; Vascular System Injuries ; Young Adult

Meningioma rarely manifests as a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), and invasion directly into a major intracranial artery is extremely rare. To the best of our knowledge, meningioma presenting with an SAH associated with major intracranial arterial invasion has never been reported. We present a case of sphenoid ridge meningotheliomatous meningioma manifesting as an SAH without pathologically atypical or malignant features, due to direct tumor invasion into the middle cerebral artery.
Humans ; Male ; Meningeal Neoplasms/*complications/pathology ; Meningioma/*complications/pathology ; Middle Aged ; Middle Cerebral Artery/*pathology ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Skull Neoplasms/*complications/pathology ; *Sphenoid Bone ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage/*etiology

Early brain injury (EBI) plays a key role in the pathogenesis of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). This study investigated the role of glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) in EBI after SAH. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=108) weighing 260±40 g were divided into control, sham-operated, and operated groups. Blood was injected into the prechiasmatic cistern of rats in the operated group. Neurological scores, ultrastructures of neurons, apoptosis, and GRP78 expression in the hippocampus were examined using Garcia scoring system, transmission electron microscopy, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling, and Western blotting at 1, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h after SAH, respectively. The results showed that neurological scores were significantly decreased in the operated group as compared with those in control and sham-operated groups at 12, 24, 48, and 72 h. Metachromatin, chromatin pyknosis at the edge, endoplasmic reticulum swelling, and invagination of nuclear membrane were observed at 24 h in the operated group, indicating the early morphological changes of apoptosis. The number of apoptotic cells was significantly increased in the operated group as compared with that in control and sham-operated groups at 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h. The GRP78 protein expression levels in the operated group were significantly elevated at all time points and reached the peak at 12 h. GRP78 expression was positively associated with apoptosis cells and negatively with neurological scores. In conclusion, EBI was demonstrated to occur after SAH and GRP78 was involved in the development of EBI after SAH.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Brain Injuries ; complications ; metabolism ; pathology ; Chromatin ; pathology ; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress ; Heat-Shock Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; etiology ; metabolism ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the association of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) expression and apoptosis in the cerebral cortex following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).

METHODSSubarachnoid hemorrhage was induced by modified monofilament puncture method in rats. Thirty-five adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to five groups: sham-operated group, SAH 6 h, SAH 12 h, SAH 24 h and SAH 72 h groups. HIF-1α expression was assessed by immunofluorescence staining. TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end-labeling (TUNEL) technique was adopted to detect apoptotic cells. Double immunolabeling was used to identify cell types with positive HIF-1α expression.

RESULTSThe expression of HIF-1α was increased at 6 h (4.65%±1.01%), peaked at 24 h (18.55%±4.23%), and decreased at 72 h (6.31%±1.15%) after SAH (P<0.05). TUNEL-positive cells were up-regulated in the brain at 6 h (7.09%±2.34%), peaked at 24 h (25.54%±7.36%), and down-regulated at 72 h (14.11%±3.03%) after SAH (P<0.05). A significant positive correlation was noted between HIF-1α positive rates and TUNEL positive rates following SAH (r=0.738, P<0.05). Double immunolabeling indicated that HIF-1α was expressed predominantly in neurons and some nuclei with positive HIF-1α were co-stained with TUNEL.

CONCLUSIONThe data indicate that HIF-1α might participate in the pathological progression of early brain injury after SAH.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Brain ; metabolism ; pathology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; metabolism ; pathology

OBJECTIVE: By observing the cerebral beta-amyloid precursor protein (beta-APP) expression in the chronic alcoholism rats with slight cerebral injury, to discuss the correlation of chronic alcoholism and death caused by traumatic subarachnoid haemorrhage (TSAH). METHODS: Sixty male SD rats were randomly divided into watering group, watering group with strike, alcoholism group and alcoholism group with strike. Among them, the alcohol was used for continuous 4 weeks in alcoholism groups and the concussion was made in groups with strike. In each group, HE staining and immunohistochemical staining of the cerebral tissues were done and the results were analyzed by the histopathologic image system. RESULTS: In watering group, there was no abnormal. In watering group with strike, mild neuronic congestion was found. In alcoholism group, vascular texture on cerebral surface was found. And the neurons arranged in disorder with dilated intercellular space. In alcoholism group with strike, diffuse congestion on cerebral surface was found. And there was TSAH with thick-layer patches around brainstem following irregular axonotmesis. The quantity of beta-APP IOD in alcoholism group was significantly higher in the frontal lobe, hippocampus, cerebellum, brainstem than those in watering group with strike and alcoholism group with strike. CONCLUSION The cerebral tissues with chronic alcoholism, due to the decreasing tolerance, could cause fatal TSAH and pathological changes in cerebral tissues of rats under slight cerebral injury.
Alcoholism/pathology* ; Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor/metabolism* ; Animals ; Brain/pathology* ; Brain Concussion/pathology* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Ethanol/adverse effects* ; Male ; Neurons/pathology* ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage, Traumatic/pathology*

Benign primary headaches are common during the postpartum period. However, there are several other kinds of headaches caused by specific underlying pathologies like post-dural puncture headache (PDPH), pregnancy induced hypertension, cortical vein thrombosis, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES), subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracranial hemorrhage, brain tumor, and so on. These headaches are rare but each can be life threatening conditions when diagnosis is delayed. If a patient was treated for another type of headache, like a PDPH, the diagnosis would be even more difficult. We report on the case of a 24 year-old woman who suffered with PDPH followed by postpartum eclampsia with PRES.
Diagnosis ; Eclampsia ; Female ; Headache ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced ; Intracranial Hemorrhages ; Pathology ; Post-Dural Puncture Headache ; Posterior Leukoencephalopathy Syndrome* ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Seizures ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Thrombosis ; Veins