[Sagittal sinus thrombosis as a rare cause of postpartum headache: a case report]. / Trombosis del seno sagital cerebral: causa infrecuente de cefalea del postparto: a propósito de un caso.

Postpartum cerebral vein thrombosis is a very rare entity (3-4 cases per million). Clinical manifestations vary, though persistent headache is almost always reported, meaning that differential diagnosis should be performed to rule out other causes of postpartum headache. Recognized risk factors for this disease are the prothrombotic state of pregnancy (third trimester), excess weight, and thrombophilia Accidental dural puncture, protein C and S deficiencies, factor V Leiden mutation, antiphospholipid syndrome, and the use of oral contraceptives have also been implicated. The diagnostic test of choice is magnetic resonance imaging, as it is convenient and harmless, though transcranial Doppler ultrasound can also be used. Pulmonary angiography is the gold-standard test. The treatment of choice is anticoagulant therapy with heparin (a treatment that is controversial, however, due to the high risk of rebleeding), followed by long-term treatment with antivitamin K drugs. We report a case of thrombosis of the upper longitudinal sinus associated with persistent postpartum headache and a history of a failed attempt at epidural puncture for analgesia during labor. The case posed interesting diagnostic questions.

Trombosis del seno sagital cerebral: causa infrecuentede cefalea del postparto: a propósito de un caso / Sagittal sinus thrombosis as a rare cause of postpartum headache: a case report

Las trombosis venosas cerebrales del postparto sonuna entidad muy poco frecuente (3-4 casos por millón).Sus manifestaciones clínicas son variadas, siendo la cefaleapersistente casi una constante, lo que implica hacerun diagnóstico diferencial con otras causas de cefaleadurante el puerperio. Los factores predisponentes reconocidosde ésta patología son el estado protrombótico delembarazo (tercer trimestre), el sobrepeso y la existenciade trombofilias. Además se han implicado en su producciónla punción dural accidental, la existencia de deficienciasde proteína C y S, Factor V Leiden, el síndromeantifosfolípido e ingesta de anticonceptivos orales. Laprueba diagnóstica de elección es por su comodidad einocuidad la resonancia magnética, aunque puede utilizarsetambién la ecografía Doppler transcraneal. Laarteriografía es la prueba de referencia. El tratamientode elección es la anticoagulación con heparina (controvertidopor el riesgo elevado de nuevo sangrado), seguidade fármacos antivitamina K durante largos periodos.Describimos un caso de trombosis de seno longitudinalsuperior en el contexto de una cefalea persistente duranteel puerperio con el antecedente de intento fallido depunción epidural para analgesia de trabajo de parto quesupuso un interesante dilema diagnóstico (AU)

Postpartum cerebral vein thrombosis is a very rareentity (3-4 cases per million). Clinical manifestationsvary, though persistent headache is almost alwaysreported, meaning that differential diagnosis should beperformed to rule out other causes of postpartumheadache. Recognized risk factors for this disease are theprothrombotic state of pregnancy (third trimester),excess weight, and thrombophilia Accidental duralpuncture, protein C and S deficiencies, factor V Leidenmutation, antiphospholipid syndrome, and the use of oralcontraceptives have also been implicated. The diagnostictest of choice is magnetic resonance imaging, as it isconvenient and harmless, though transcranial Dopplerultrasound can also be used. Pulmonary angiography isthe gold-standard test. The treatment of choice isanticoagulant therapy with heparin (a treatment that iscontroversial, however, due to the high risk ofrebleeding), followed by long-term treatment withantivitamin K drugs. We report a case of thrombosis ofthe upper longitudinal sinus associated with persistentpostpartum headache and a history of a failed attempt atepidural puncture for analgesia during labor. The caseposed interesting diagnostic questions (AU)

[Use of vecuronium and atracurium in continuous infusion. A comparative study using electromyography and accelerometry]. / Utilización del vecuronio y atracurio en infusión continua. Estudio comparativo con electromiografía y acelerometría.

Vecuronium and atracurium, muscle relaxant agents of intermediate action, were administered in continuous infusion to 175 patients undergoing prolonged surgical operations with the purpose of achieving serum concentrations inducing maintained blocking of neuromuscular function. We used a 0.08 mg/kg or 0.5 mg/kg bolus intubation dose followed by a continuous infusion of vecuronium (72 patients) or atracurium (103 patients) 10 minutes after, at the necessary pace to maintain inhibition of neuromuscular transmission over 90%. Monitoring of relaxation was done by means of four supramaximal stimuli trains which were repeated every 20 seconds and applied to the cubital nerve. Composite electromyogram (electromyography) and thumb acceleration (mechanomyography-accelerometry) were simultaneously recorded. Infusion was interrupted 15 minutes before ending the operation; reversion occurred spontaneously in 143 patients and 32 patients had to be reversed with neostigmine. Beginning of action, total duration of infusion, infusion speed, and 25-75 spontaneous and after decurarization recovery index were measured. Initial dose allowed an easy tracheal intubation and the constant relaxation achieved with 0.068 mg/kg/h and 0.46 mg/kg/h infusion of vecuronium and atracurium was adequate for all operations. Spontaneous recovery is often adequate at the end of operations in carefully monitored patients. Both monitoring methods are useful for clinical evaluation of neuromuscular transmission.