Subarachnoid Mirage: A Case of Pseudosubarachnoid Hemorrhage.
case_report · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 30146447.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2018.07.002.
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Abstract
A 22-year-old man with a history of intravenous methamphetamine use presented with severe headache for 5 days, was afebrile, and had nuchal rigidity. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging results were interpreted as revealing acute subarachnoid hemorrhage. Twenty-four hours later, he developed acute neurologic deterioration. A lumbar puncture was performed, revealing the presence of Staphylococcus aureus. The false-positive image mimicking blood was potentially a result of an extremely high protein concentration present in the cerebrospinal fluid, provoked by an intense inflammatory reaction leading to disruption of the blood-brain barrier. Pyogenic meningitis is one of the causes of pseudosubarachnoid hemorrhage, or a false diagnosis of subarachnoid hemorrhage, when one does not actually exist.
Medical subject headings
- Anti-Bacterial Agents
- Meningitis, Bacterial
- Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
- Staphylococcal Infections
- Subarachnoid Hemorrhage