Meningocele-induced positional syncope and retinal hemorrhage.
Meningocele is recognized as a rare, usually asymptomatic condition not associated with acute neurologic symptoms. We herein describe the case of a patient with a longstanding history of a lower back "mass" and recurrent syncope who became acutely unresponsive and developed bilateral retinal hemorrhages when she was placed in the supine position to undergo carotid sonography. MR imaging revealed a large, dorsal lumbar meningocele. The episode likely was caused by acutely increased intracranial pressure caused by displacement of CSF from the meningocele intracranially.
Department of Neurology, Cedar Valley Medical Specialists, Waterloo, IA 50701, USA.
Ivo
I
Bekavac
John I
JI
Halloran
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019586:Intracranial Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008588:Meningocele / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D012166:Retinal Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology*; D016683:Supine Position; D013575:Syncope / Q000209:etiology*