Transcranial color-coded duplex sonography in neurocritical care

2014-11-04 02:01:52

Category: Neuroradiology, Region: Head-Brain and brain nerves, Plane: Axial

Intracranial hematomas, midline shift and cerebral aneurysms are conditions that can be readily detected non-invasively with transcranial color-coded duplex sonography. A previously healthy 46-year-old male patient was admitted to ICU after evacuation of a right temporal lobe hematoma. (A grade 4 of the Fisher Scale for Grading ubarachnoid hemorrage was suspected). Twelve hours after surgery, the patient developed severe refractory intracranial hypertension. Transcranial color-coded duplex sonography was performed and revealed a hyperechoic mass in the right temporal lobe (compatible with an hematoma) and a 7.1-mm leftward midline shift. These findings were also evident on cranial CT. An ovoid mass adjacent to the right middle cerebral artery was also noted on color-mode (compatible with a cerebral aneurysm)