Isolated oculomotor nerve palsy resulting from acute traumatic tentorial subdural hematoma

Isolated Oculomotor Nerve Palsy After Temporoparietal Lobar Hemorrhage With a Mass Effect: A Case Report

We report a case of a patient who presented with ipsilateral oculomotor nerve palsy after a spontaneous left temporoparietal lobar hemorrhage with mass effect. Primary symptomatology included ipsilateral ptosis, dilated fixed pupil, and a lack of superior and medial movement with limited inferior left eye movements. Brain imaging revealed compression of the left upper midbrain due to subtentorial herniation of the hemorrhage, and susceptibility-weighted images sequences showed cerebral microbleed in the left midbrain substantia nigra. Based on our observation from this case, physicians should consider temporoparietal lobar hemorrhage with mass effect as an attributable factor in the etiologic cause of ipsilateral oculomotor nerve palsy.

Fixed, Dilated, and Conversing—Unreactive Pupil With Preserved Consciousness Indicating Acutely Rising Intracranial Pressure due to Traumatic Intraparenchymal Contusions: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Patients with fixed and dilated pupils (FDPs) due to rising intracranial pressure (ICP) typically experience a deterioration in consciousness. We describe an exceptional case of a patient with bifrontal contusions who developed worsening edema and a unilaterally FDP while maintaining consciousness and the ability to communicate. A 58-year-old man with history of hypertension and diabetes mellitus type II presented after being assaulted, with bifrontal contusions and right frontal intraparenchymal hemorrhage. On hospital day 8, his right pupil became fixed (NPi 0) and dilated (4.8 mm). The patient was drowsy, arousable to tactile stimuli, answering questions, oriented to place and time, following commands on his right side, maintaining Glasgow Coma Scale of 14 (E4, V5, M6). He described complete loss of vision and could not identify objects or count fingers. His gaze was dysconjugate with impaired vertical excursion and inability to fully abduct to the right side. Corneal reflexes were intact bilaterally. Hypertonic saline and mannitol produced no improvement in his pupillary exam. Head computed tomography showed worsening midline shift and interval increase in subfalcine herniation related to increased peri-hematoma edema. We performed an emergent right-sided decompressive hemicraniectomy with durotomy and duraplasty. His pupil became reactive 5 hours after surgery. While FDP without deterioration of consciousness has been described due to traumatic subdural and epidural hematomas, we report this unusual constellation as a sign of rising ICP and impeding herniation due to intraparenchymal contusions, highlighting that any pupillary change warrants prompt work-up and intervention.

Isolated Oculomotor Nerve Palsy in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

BACKGROUND

Isolated oculomotor nerve palsy is rarely encountered after mild traumatic brain injury. It is difficult to offer patients accurate management strategies or prognostic assessments because only a few reports have described the management of oculomotor nerve palsy.

METHODS

We performed a search for all clinical studies of isolated oculomotor nerve palsy after mild traumatic brain injury published up to July 9, 2019. We placed no restrictions on language or year of publication in our search, and we searched the following key words: traumatic brain injury, isolated oculomotor nerve palsy, mild head trauma, management, and prognosis.

RESULTS

We identified 14 cases of isolated oculomotor nerve palsy after mild traumatic brain injury. In three cases, steroids were used to manage the oculomotor nerve palsy. Five patients who had underlying brain lesions underwent surgery, and seven patients were observed and followed up. The time to partial or complete resolution was 6.0 ± 5.3 mos with a range of 0.5-18 mos.

CONCLUSIONS

This review includes a survey of surgical treatment for the management of traumatic brain injury that underlies oculomotor nerve palsies, steroid therapy to reduce related brain edema, and oculomotor rehabilitation with training eye movement behavior.

Enlarging acute tentorial subdural hematoma evacuated by surgery

Acute intracranial subdural hematomas (SDHs) of tentorial type generally pose no serious clinical threats, and unlike other variants of SDH, rarely require surgical intervention. Herein, we present an exceedingly rare case of tentorial SDH, marked by gradual enlargement and eventually calling for surgical evacuation. A 55-year-old man presented to the emergency department after sustaining head trauma. Initially, he was alert, fully oriented, and neurologically stable. Although computed tomography (CT) of the brain revealed an acute SDH scantily distributed along right tentorium, brain swelling or midline shift was negligible. On the following day, he became confused, but pupil size and light reflex remained normal. A follow-up CT scan showed considerable enlargement of the acute SDH, with midline shift. In a matter of hours, he deteriorated to a stuporous state, as the SDH enlarged even more. We performed a craniotomy and completely evacuated the SDH on an emergency basis. As a result, the midline shift improved, and he again became alert, soon recovering without any new neurologic deficit. This illustrative case demonstrates that even a tentorial SDH may ultimately deteriorate, forcing surgical evacuation. We, therefore, feel that close observation is mandatory for such events, even if the initial volume is small.