Central sulcus focal subarachnoid hemorrhage in the elderly: cerebral amyloid angiopathy is the most frequent cause

When Atrial Fibrillation Meets Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy: Current Evidence and Strategies

Non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) are two common diseases in elderly populations. Despite the effectiveness of oral anticoagulant therapy in cardioembolic stroke prevention, intracranial hemorrhage represents the most serious complication of these therapies. Cerebral amyloid angiopathy is one of the main risk factors for spontaneous intracranial bleeding, and this risk is highly increased by age and concomitant antithrombotic therapies. Cerebral amyloid angiopathy can be silent for years and then manifest with clinical features simulating TIA (TIA-mimics) or stroke in AF patients, pushing clinicians to rapidly start VKAs or DOACs, thus increasing the risk of intracranial bleeding if the diagnosis of CAA was unknown. Because the cerebral amyloid angiopathy is easily diagnosed with non-contrast MRI, suspecting the disease can avoid catastrophic complications. In this review, we will provide physicians managing anticoagulant therapies with key tips to familiarize themselves with cerebral amyloid angiopathy, with a focus on the possible clinical presentations and on the diagnostic criteria.

Cerebral convexity subarachnoid hemorrhage: various causes and role of diagnostic imaging

Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have made it relatively easy to diagnose cortical convexity subarachnoid hemorrhages (cSAH); however, the evaluation of these hemorrhages should not be limited to size and location. It is imperative that possible underlying etiologies be identified so that clinicians may properly treat and prevent this potentially catastrophic event. The goal of this article is to review etiologies of cortical convexity subarachnoid hemorrhages, from common causes such as cerebral amyloid angiopathy to less common causes such as reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome and moyamoya. The specific imaging findings of each etiology that may be responsible for these hemorrhages are described in this article so that the radiologist may properly aid in the diagnosis of the underlying cause.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage: beyond aneurysms

OBJECTIVE

Spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) typically prompts a search for an underlying ruptured saccular aneurysm, which is the most common nontraumatic cause. Depending on the clinical presentation and pattern of SAH, the differential diagnosis may include a diverse group of causes other than aneurysm rupture.

CONCLUSION

For the purposes of this review, we classify SAH into three main patterns, defined by the distribution of blood on unenhanced CT: diffuse, perimesencephalic, and convexal. The epicenter of the hemorrhage further refines the differential diagnosis and guides subsequent imaging. Additionally, we review multiple clinical conditions that can simulate the appearance of SAH on CT or MRI, an imaging artifact known as pseudo-SAH.

Isolated Central Sulcus Hemorrhage: A Rare Presentation Most Frequently Associated with Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy

Central sulcus hemorrhage is a rare imaging finding that can be related to cerebral amyloidosis in a normotensive non-traumatic elderly patient and present as an isolated finding or in association with other areas of involvement. We report a case presenting with an isolated central sulcus hemorrhage on computed tomography. Further imaging work-up excluded other potential causes of peripheral hemorrhages and established a putative diagnosis of cerebral amyloidosis.