title: Bilateral symmetrical pallidal lesions following severe anemia associated with gastrointestinal hemorrhage: report of two cases.
abstract: We herein report the cases of two patients with bilateral symmetrical pallidal lesions mimicking hypoxic encephalopathy following severe anemia associated with gastrointestinal hemorrhage despite a lack of carbon monoxide intoxication. Although severe anemia can theoretically result in anemic hypoxia, vulnerable pallidal lesions have rarely been described in anemic patients. Interestingly, both patients shared common conditions associated with atherosclerosis, including heavy smoking, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus and a history of coronary artery bypass grafting for ischemic heart disease. Anemic hypoxia may cause pallidal involvement in atherosclerotic patients with multiple risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Isumi Medical Center, Japan. t-shibata@kuniyoshi-hp.jp
authors.forename: Takahisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shibata
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ban
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Katayama
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000740:Anemia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005917:Globus Pallidus / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D002534:Hypoxia, Brain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index