A 44-Year-Old Male With Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis.

Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is a rare condition that can result in severe neurological complications when left untreated. Disease pathology results from thrombus development within the superficial cortical veins or the dural sinuses. Thrombosis impedes cerebral drainage leading to venous congestion and consequent increase in cerebral pressure, parenchymal damage, and blood-brain barrier disruption. Headache is the most common presenting symptom; other symptoms include focal neurological signs, seizures, papilledema, and altered sensorium. Diagnosis is typically made with visualization of obstructed flow in the cerebral venous system using one of three imaging modalities: computed tomography-venography (CTV), magnetic resonance imaging with venography (MRV), and diagnostic cerebral angiography. First-line therapy for CVST is anticoagulation, and the prognosis is generally favorable with early detection and prompt treatment. In this case report, we discuss a singular case of a patient presenting with loss of consciousness who was found to have CVST and treated with anticoagulation therapy in the setting of an intraparenchymal hemorrhage.

Incidental Moyamoya Disease in an Elderly Patient Presenting With Acute Ischemic Pontine Stroke.

Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a rare occlusive cerebrovascular disease that is characterized by progressive stenosis of the terminal portion of the internal carotid artery and its main branches with compensatory development of dilated and fragile collateral vasculature at the base of the brain. MMD has a bimodal age distribution commonly affecting children and adults, whereas onset in the elderly population is a rare occurrence. Here, we present a case of a 78-year-old patient of Indonesian descent who was incidentally found to have moyamoya arteriopathy after presenting with acute ischemic stroke in the left pons. The patient underwent diagnostic cerebral angiogram that showed right middle cerebral artery stenosis with pathognomonic collateral moyamoya vessels. The patient was discharged on antiplatelet therapy. We report a rare case of an elderly patient with MMD. The role of medical or surgical management in asymptomatic MMD in elderly patients remains largely unknown.

Paradoxical Hyperreflexia in a Patient With Classic Guillain-Barré Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare entity with characteristic features, including progressive ascending paralysis. Patients typically present with progressive symmetrical weakness with areflexia in bilateral lower extremities, which can be confounded by psychiatric comorbidities. This case is unusual in that the patient had paradoxical hyperreflexia and normal CSF protein levels during her initial presentation, later confirmed to be GBS. CASE PRESENTATION: Here, we describe the case of a young female with bipolar disorder who presented to the hospital with complaints of week-long bilateral lower leg weakness that started abruptly about a month after an episode of multiple stools of bloody diarrhea. The initial neurological exam revealed 4/5 bilateral lower extremity strength and near global areflexia, excluding a 3+ right patellar reflex, and CSF studies returned normal CSF protein levels.  Based on the clinical presentation of worsening ascending paralysis, electromyography (EMG) findings, and nerve conduction studies (NCS) consistent with an axonal and demyelinating neuropathy, we diagnosed her with the classic form of Guillain-Barré syndrome with paradoxical hyperreflexia. Imaging results, laboratory findings, treatment decisions, and outcomes of this case are presented.