title: Complete, bilateral hippocampal ischemia: a case series.
abstract: Acute and complete ischemia of the hippocampi represents a rare cause of amnesia. This paper describes the features of four such cases presenting to a single tertiary care center over a 3-year period. Interestingly, in three instances, toxicology screening was positive for opioids at the time of presentation, while in the fourth, there was a known, reportedly remote, history of heroin use. Taken together with the known literature on the topic, complete hippocampal ischemia appears at least highly suggestive of a toxic exposure. Further case finding is necessary to better understand the etiology, nature, and prevalence of this unusual clinico-radiologic entity.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Radiology , Lahey Hospital and Medical Center , Burlington , MA , USA.
authors.forename: Juan E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Small
authors.affiliation: b Department of Neurology , Tufts University School of Medicine , Boston , MA , USA.|c Department of Neurology , Lahey Hospital and Medical Center , Burlington , MA , USA.
authors.forename: P Monroe
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.affiliation: c Department of Neurology , Lahey Hospital and Medical Center , Burlington , MA , USA.
authors.forename: Yuval
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zabar
authors.affiliation: c Department of Neurology , Lahey Hospital and Medical Center , Burlington , MA , USA.
authors.forename: Jed A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Barash
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D003704:Dementia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Hippocampus; amnesia; heroin; memory; opioids