title: Pseudo-subarachnoid hemorrhage in a patient with hypoxic encephalopathy.
abstract: The authors report an unusual case of diffuse subarachnoid hemorrhage on brain computed tomography (CT) scan in a patient with post-resuscitation anoxic encephalopathy. A 42-year-old woman suffered both respiratory and cardiac arrest, associated with hypoxic encephalopathy, which occurred during a visit to our gynecology clinic. CT examination was performed the next day, which revealed a hyperdensity in the basal cisterns with a diffuse cerebral edema. Lumbar puncture was applied for diagnosis. No yellow coloration or red cells were observed in the cerebrospinal fluid. Nineteen days after treatment, the CT examination revealed features of a subarachnoid hemorrhage with a significantly increased cerebral edema. The patient died two months later. This clinical case illustrates that hypoxic encephalopathy can mimic diffuse subarachnoid hemorrhage on CT scan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Third Central Hospital of Tianjin, 83, Jintang Road Hedong, Tianjin 300170, China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Third Central Hospital of Tianjin, 83, Jintang Road Hedong, Tianjin 300170, China.
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Third Central Hospital of Tianjin, 83, Jintang Road Hedong, Tianjin 300170, China. Electronic address: jingzhangdoc@163.com.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, The Third Central Hospital of Tianjin, 83, Jintang Road Hedong, Tianjin 300170, China.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D002534:Hypoxia, Brain / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013129:Spinal Puncture; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: Cerebral edema; Encephaledema; High-density sign; Hyperdensity; Hyperdensité; Hyperdensité au scanner; Pseudo-hémorragie sous-arachnoïdienne; Pseudo-subarachnoid hemorrhage; Pseudo-subarachnoid hemorrhage signs; Signe de pseudo-hémorragie sous-arachnoïdienne; Œdème cérébral; Œdème encéphalique