[Pontine stroke due to vasospasm secondary to perimesencephalic subarachnoid hemorrhage].
BACKGROUND
Spontaneous non-aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhages generally have a good short and long term outcome, especially those with a perimesencephalic location. Vasospasm is an uncommon complication of this type of subarachnoid hemorrhage, and ischemic cerebral lesions related to vasospasm are even less frequent.


METHODS
A 46 year-old man was admitted with a perimesencephalic subarachnoid hemorrhage. Angiographic study performed on admission was normal. Two weeks later he developed dysarthria and right faciobrachial paresis. Transcranial doppler showed a diffuse and moderate increase of medium velocity flow at basilar artery level suggestive of moderate vasospasm. An angioresonance confirmed this finding and a paramedian pontine infarction was found on resonance images. The patient was treated with nimodipine and he was discharged from hospital with only mild residual deficit.


CONCLUSIONS
Cerebral infarction related to vasospasm as complication of subarachnoid perimesencephalic hemorrhage is exceptional. The factors that could have been involved in the development of this complication are discussed.
Servicio de Neurología, Hospital de Navarra, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain.
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S
Mayor
M E
ME
Erro
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Zazpe
J
J
Gállego
D001933:Brain Stem / Q000098:blood supply*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008636:Mesencephalon; D008875:Middle Aged; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology*; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D020301:Vasospasm, Intracranial / Q000209:etiology*