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Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome associated with autonomic dysreflexia.

Edvardsson, Bengt LU and Persson, Staffan LU (2010) In Journal of Headache and Pain 11. p.277-280
Abstract
A 32-year-old man with a residual spastic quadriparesis from a traumatic C5-C6 fracture experienced a severe thunderclap headache. The medical history revealed an episode of autonomic dysreflexia (AD) due to neurogenic bladder/urinary tract infection (UTI). Blood pressure monitoring at admission revealed hypertension; blood pressure reaching 160/100 mmHg (average blood pressure in these patients and also in this patient being 90/60 mmHg). CT scan of the head, cerebrospinal fluid examination, CT angiography and MR angiography of the brain vessels were normal. Another UTI and a subsequent spell of AD were diagnosed. The patient continued to experience recurrent thunderclap headaches. Selective catheter cerebral angiography revealed multiple... (More)
A 32-year-old man with a residual spastic quadriparesis from a traumatic C5-C6 fracture experienced a severe thunderclap headache. The medical history revealed an episode of autonomic dysreflexia (AD) due to neurogenic bladder/urinary tract infection (UTI). Blood pressure monitoring at admission revealed hypertension; blood pressure reaching 160/100 mmHg (average blood pressure in these patients and also in this patient being 90/60 mmHg). CT scan of the head, cerebrospinal fluid examination, CT angiography and MR angiography of the brain vessels were normal. Another UTI and a subsequent spell of AD were diagnosed. The patient continued to experience recurrent thunderclap headaches. Selective catheter cerebral angiography revealed multiple calibre changes in the intracranial blood vessels. A diagnosis of reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) due to AD was considered. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain after 2 weeks revealed ischaemic changes in the left hemisphere. Follow-up brain MRI after 3 weeks showed reduction in size of the ischaemic changes, and catheter angiography after 6 weeks demonstrated improvement/normalization. A diagnosis of RCVS could be established. Repeated MRI/CT of the brain after 6 months demonstrated a large infarction in the left hemisphere. RCVS has been reported to occur in various clinical settings. It can occur in the setting of AD in patients with traumatic cervical cord injury. Prompt recognition of RCVS may be of vital importance to avoid further morbidity in patients with spinal cord injury. (Less)
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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Headache and Pain
volume
11
pages
277 - 280
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000277450200013
  • pmid:20186562
  • scopus:77955291702
  • pmid:20186562
ISSN
1129-2369
DOI
10.1007/s10194-010-0196-1
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
36e182cb-19ed-4f3c-8de1-3496facb62d2 (old id 1582829)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20186562?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 07:12:30
date last changed
2022-01-29 01:54:57
@article{36e182cb-19ed-4f3c-8de1-3496facb62d2,
  abstract     = {{A 32-year-old man with a residual spastic quadriparesis from a traumatic C5-C6 fracture experienced a severe thunderclap headache. The medical history revealed an episode of autonomic dysreflexia (AD) due to neurogenic bladder/urinary tract infection (UTI). Blood pressure monitoring at admission revealed hypertension; blood pressure reaching 160/100 mmHg (average blood pressure in these patients and also in this patient being 90/60 mmHg). CT scan of the head, cerebrospinal fluid examination, CT angiography and MR angiography of the brain vessels were normal. Another UTI and a subsequent spell of AD were diagnosed. The patient continued to experience recurrent thunderclap headaches. Selective catheter cerebral angiography revealed multiple calibre changes in the intracranial blood vessels. A diagnosis of reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) due to AD was considered. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain after 2 weeks revealed ischaemic changes in the left hemisphere. Follow-up brain MRI after 3 weeks showed reduction in size of the ischaemic changes, and catheter angiography after 6 weeks demonstrated improvement/normalization. A diagnosis of RCVS could be established. Repeated MRI/CT of the brain after 6 months demonstrated a large infarction in the left hemisphere. RCVS has been reported to occur in various clinical settings. It can occur in the setting of AD in patients with traumatic cervical cord injury. Prompt recognition of RCVS may be of vital importance to avoid further morbidity in patients with spinal cord injury.}},
  author       = {{Edvardsson, Bengt and Persson, Staffan}},
  issn         = {{1129-2369}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{277--280}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Journal of Headache and Pain}},
  title        = {{Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome associated with autonomic dysreflexia.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10194-010-0196-1}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s10194-010-0196-1}},
  volume       = {{11}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}