This Article Order Full text via Infotrieve Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kitanaka, C. Articles by Eguchi, T. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kitanaka, C. Articles by Eguchi, T.

Stroke, Vol 25, 518-520, Copyright © 1994 by American Heart Association

ARTICLES

Malignant brain stem hyperthermia caused by brain stem hemorrhage

C Kitanaka, Y Inoh, T Toyoda, T Sasaki and T Eguchi
Department of Neurosurgery, Tokyo University School of Medicine, Japan.

BACKGROUND: We report two cases of brain stem hemorrhage characterized by severe hyperthermia, rhabdomyolysis, acute renal failure, and a rapidly fatal course. METHODS: A 55-year-old man and a 65-year-old man were admitted with coma-producing brain stem hemorrhage accompanied by hyperthermia. Both underwent ventricular drainage. RESULTS: Within 1 day of onset, both patients developed hyperthermia of over 41 degrees C, increased serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK) level indicating rhabdomyolysis, and acute renal failure. One patient died on the second day and the other on the third day after onset despite supportive treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These cases of brain stem hemorrhage with fulminant hyperthermia should be distinguished from those with simple hyperthermia. They may represent a kind of malignant hyperthermia, in which case dantrolene sodium might be beneficial. Monitoring serum CPK levels would be of help in making the diagnosis early in the course.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Commichau, N. Scarmeas, and S. A. Mayer Risk factors for fever in the neurologic intensive care unit Neurology, March 11, 2003; 60(5): 837 - 841. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Schwarz, K. Hafner, A. Aschoff, and S. Schwab Incidence and prognostic significance of fever following intracerebral hemorrhage Neurology, January 25, 2000; 54(2): 354 - 354. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]