Sympathetic storming in a patient with intracranial basal ganglia hemorrhage.

Abstract

Neurologic deficits and medical complications are common sequelae after intracranial hemorrhage. Among the medical complications, sympathetic storming is relatively rare. We describe a case of a patient with an acute right basal ganglia hemorrhage. During the patient's hospital course, he developed tachypnea, diaphoresis, hypertension, hyperthermia, and tachycardia for three consecutive days. A complete laboratory work-up and imaging studies were unremarkable for infectious etiology, new intracranial hemorrhage, and deep vein thrombosis. The patient was diagnosed with sympathetic storming, a relatively uncommon cause of these symptoms. The storming was secondary to a kinked Foley catheter, and subsequent placement of a new catheter resulted in the resolution of his symptoms.