sudden death in acute hydrocephalus

Colloid cysts are rare benign tumors of the third ventricle with diverse clinical presentation, which vary from incidentally found cysts to acute death. An uncommon hemorrhage in these cysts is a life threatening complication which can cause obstructive hydrocephalus with acute deterioration of the patient and sudden death. We present a case of 35-year-old man with large hemorrhagic colloid cyst of a third ventricle causing acute obstructive hydrocephalus even though magnetic resonance image with low T2 signal of the cyst suggested its clinically stable nature...

Colloid cysts are rare congenital, intracranial neoplasms, commonly located in the third ventricle. Colloid cysts are endodermal congenital malformations. The cysts commonly range in size from 1-2 cm in diameter, although large cysts >3 cm in size have been reported. The components of the cyst include an outer fibrous capsule over an inner epithelium. The epithelium is usually a single layer of mucin-producing or ciliated cells. Such cysts contain mucoid and gelatinous material, which is positive for both Periodic acid Schiff (PAS) and mucicarmen staining...

BACKGROUND: Acute neurological deterioration and death in a patient harboring a colloid cyst of the third ventricle remains a poorly understood phenomenon. Sudden neurological derangement caused by spontaneous bleeding within a colloid cyst is a rare and potentially fatal event, usually requiring immediate diagnosis and emergency surgical treatment. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 47-year-old male presented with acute right-sided hemiparesis and speech impediment, followed by rapid deterioration of consciousness...

INTRODUCTION: Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) is an established treatment for hydrocephalus. Most studies focus on success rates, and complications are insufficiently charted. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review of ETV complications. METHODS: A Medline search discovered 24 series of ETV (seven in children, five in adults, and 12 in a mixed-age group) with detailed complications reports. RESULTS: The analysis included 2,672 ETVs performed on 2,617 patients...

Chiari malformation Type I (CM-I) is usually suspected in patients with slowly progressing neurological symptoms. However, in some instances, especially if syringomyelia is associated, an abrupt clinical onset is reported and is accompanied by an acknowledged risk of potentially severe clinical signs or even sudden death. Little is known about such a critical course in CM-I/syringomyelia complex. The authors describe 3 challenging cases of the abrupt onset of CM-I/syringomyelia to reveal more information on the clinical presentation and pathogenetic mechanisms of this sudden and potentially severe clinical phenomenon: a 38-year-old man experienced acute respiratory failure requiring intubation following acute decompensation of hydrocephalus associated with Noonan syndrome, a 1-year-old boy had sudden hemiparesis and Horner syndrome after a minor head/neck injury, and a 2...

OBJECT: Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) is an established treatment for hydrocephalus. Most studies focus on success rate, and complications are insufficiently documented. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review of ETV complications. METHODS: A Medline search discovered 34 series of ETV with detailed complications reports (17 series involving exclusively pediatric patient populations, 6 series involving exclusively adults, and 11 series involving mixed adult and pediatric populations)...

Colloid cysts are rare intracranial neoplasms which typically present with headaches. There is risk of neurological deterioration or death due to acute hydrocephalus. We report a case of colloid cyst presenting after a sudden acceleration/deceleration force from a theme park ride, highlighting the importance of lifestyle advice in these patients.

BACKGROUND: Third ventricle colloid cysts are regarded as benign lesions. They may, however, present with dramatic and rapidly deteriorating neurological signs, leading to sudden death. Although the exact cause of this clinical course is unknown, acute hydrocephalus caused by occlusion of Monro's foramina has been suggested. This, in turn, may be the result of acute cyst swelling, which can exceptionally be due to an intralesional hemorrhage. CASE REPORT: This report illustrates the case of a young patient who deteriorated to sudden coma and was found to have a hemorrhagic colloid cyst of the third ventricle...

Intracranial chordoma is a locally invasive, relatively rare tumour at the base of the skull. The tumour usually grows slowly but there have been several case reports of sudden death, all of which were due to tumour-associated haemorrhages. We report an autopsy case of a sudden unexpected death due to clinically undiagnosed intracranial chordoma in the brainstem without haemorrhage. A 44-year-old man was found dead at home. The autopsy revealed two small gelatinous and semi-translucent greyish tumours on the ventral surface of the brainstem between the midbrain and pons...

AIM: The aim of our study was to investigate survival and causes of death in a complete cohort of open spina bifida at the mean age of 40 years. METHOD: We conducted a community-based, prospective study of 117 consecutive infants (50 males, 67 females) with open spina bifida whose backs were closed non-selectively within 48 hours of birth between 1963 and 1971 at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK. Of those who survived to age 1 year, 89% (82 out of 92) had a cerebrospinal fluid shunt...

A 15 years old girl of African origin was admitted with a history of headaches and a generalised tonic seizure. Her clinical examination including fundoscopy was normal. She claimed she had been assaulted. Within a few hours of her admission she was found dead in her bed during the ward round. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was unsuccessful. At post-mortem, the major organs showed no pathological changes and neck dissection showed no abnormality. Neuropathological examination after formalin fixation revealed a cystic lesion in the fourth ventricle, ependymitis and acute hydrocephalus...

Colloid cysts of the third ventricle are benign intracranial tumors that usually become symptomatic in adults, rather than in children. Rare hemorrhages in these cysts can cause acute obstructive hydrocephalus and sudden death. We report a novel pediatric case of hemorrhagic colloid cyst in a 9-year-old girl who presented with headaches, nausea, and had sudden deterioration of her mental status. The patient underwent emergent ventriculostomy and then craniotomy to resect the colloid cyst; she had an excellent recovery...

INTRODUCTION: Late failure of originally successful endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) is considerably less common than failure of ventriculo-peritoneal (V-P) shunt in treatment of hydrocephalus. Death in consequence of late ETV failure is a very rare complication, so far having been mentioned in literature in 13 patients only. CASE REPORT: We present the case of an 11-year-old girl who died in consequence of ETV failure 26 months after the endoscopic procedure...

Infants with acute hydrocephalus often present with nonspecific neurological signs, and cystic choroid plexus papilloma (CPP) is a very rare cause of acute obstructive hydrocephalus. The authors present the case of a 1-year-old girl who became irritable, started vomiting, and became comatose within a day. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging revealed a cystic lesion in the third ventricle as well as hydrocephalus. Although the aqueduct appeared to be patent, phase-contrast MR imaging showed no pulsatile flow of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles...

Colloid cysts are benign tumors situated in and connected to the roof of the third ventricle. The clinical presentation is diverse, varying from incidentally found cysts to acute death. This presentation is explained by an acute hydrocephalus due to an obstruction of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow at the level of the foramina of Monro. Why these lesions cause a sudden obstruction is not clear in most cases. Possible explanations of a sudden deterioration are shifts of the cysts after lumbar puncture or CSF flow obstruction after shunt dysfunction...

OBJECTIVE: To report the occurrence of neurogenic stunned myocardium in the context of a hydrocephalus due to a third ventricle colloid cyst. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: Neurocritical care unit of a university hospital. PATIENT: The case of a 33-year-old woman with an intraventricular cerebral colloid cyst who developed hydrocephalus, cardiac arrest and survived is presented. Workup was consistent with neurogenic stunned myocardium in the context of acute hydrocephalus due to an intraventricular colloid cyst...

We report an acute case of a native woman from Peru suffering with cephalalgia which rapidly worsened and ended in her sudden and unexpected death. Brain CT scan showed hydrocephalus and intraventricular calcifications. Histopathological study revealed the presence of intraventricular taenia solium cysts which caused blockage of cerebrospinal fluid and secondary hydrocephalus. Due to the increasing travel movements of people neurocysticercosis must be considered as a cause of unexplained sudden death.

In this paper, the authors review the mechanisms of acute deterioration and sudden death caused by colloid cysts (CCs). These dreaded events are widely recognized complications of CC, however the mechanism(s) in cause has been subject to controversy. Increased intracranial pressure (ICP) is a common event associated with many cerebral disorders, including colloid cysts, though compensatory mechanisms may allow ICP to remain at normal levels. However, a compensated system might decompensate for many factors such as intracranial haemorrhage, acute hydrocephalus, brain oedema, or an increase in sagittal sinus pressure (SSP)...

OBJECT: The Chiari Type II malformation (CM II) is a unique hindbrain herniation found only in patients with myelomeningocele and is the leading cause of death in these individuals younger than 2 years of age. Several theories exist as to its embryological evolution and recently new theories are emerging as to its treatment and possible prevention. A thorough understanding of the embryology, anatomy, symptomatology, and surgical treatment is necessary to care optimally for children with myelomeningocele and prevent significant morbidity and mortality...

INTRODUCTION: Colloid cysts are intracranial lesions with an estimated incidence of three individuals per million people per year. They are benign tumours in the anterosuperior portion of the third ventricle. The normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid may be interrupted by a large cyst that obstructs the foramen of Monro. The associated signs and symptoms cover a wide range of features, from non specific headaches to intracranial hypertension data; some colloid cysts occur at the acute onset of hydrocephalus and can lead to a sudden death...