Nitrous oxide (NO) is an inhalant that has become increasingly popular as a recreational drug. While it is presumed to be harmless, a number of adverse effects of NO have been described. We discuss the case of a 24-year-old man with no medical history, who initially presented to the emergency department with progressive polyneuropathy caused by vitamin B deficiency after NO abuse. Two days after being discharged with hydroxocobalamin supplementation, the patient returned with a severe headache, blurry vision and slurred speech. Imaging revealed cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. Hypercoagulability workup showed slightly elevated homocysteine and normalised vitamin B after supplementation. Genetic testing showed a heterozygous prothrombin G20210A mutation. He was treated with low-molecular-weight heparin followed by dabigatran. We hypothesise that NO use may increase the risk of developing cerebral venous thrombosis, especially in patients with multiple risk factors and elevated homocysteine levels.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2021-244478 | DOI Listing |
BMC Neurol
January 2025
Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.
Background: Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is a rare yet significant neurological disorder with high mortality. Understanding its evolving characteristics, risk factors, and outcomes, particularly in Chinese patients after the COVID-19 pandemic, is critical for developing effective preventive and therapeutic strategies.
Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 471 CVST cases from Xuanwu Hospital, comparing data before (2013-2017, n = 243) and after (2021-2023, n = 228) the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thromb Res
January 2025
Department of Neurology, Fujian Institute of Geriatrics, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China. Electronic address:
Background: Protein S deficiency is a rare inherited disease. We report the case of a young man who unexpectedly developed isolated cortical vein thrombosis (ICoVT) associated with a novel PROS1 mutation.
Methods: Clinical symptoms were recorded, and physical examinations conducted.
Clin Neurol Neurosurg
January 2025
Department of Neurosurgery & Brain Repair, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA. Electronic address:
Introduction: Dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVF) are abnormal anastomoses between meningeal arteries and dural venous sinuses. Typically, dAVF treatment involves an endovascular or microsurgical approach. Anterior ethmoidal artery (AEA) dAVFs pose unique challenges due to their anatomy and location.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCancers (Basel)
December 2024
Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan.
Skull base tumors such as meningiomas and schwannomas are often pathologically benign. However, surgery for these tumors poses significant challenges because of their proximity to critical structures such as the brainstem, cerebral arteries, veins, and cranial nerves. These structures are compressed or encased by the tumor as they grow, increasing the risk of unintended injury to these structures, which can potentially lead to severe neurological deficits.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDiagnostics (Basel)
January 2025
Research Center on Thromboembolic Diseases and Antithrombotic Treatment, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, Italy.
Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is a pathological condition that develops when a thrombus forms within the deep venous system. Typically, it involves the lower limbs and, less frequently, the upper extremities or other unusual districts such as cerebral or splanchnic veins. While leg DVT itself is rarely fatal and occasionally can lead to limb-threatening implications, its most fearsome complication, namely pulmonary embolism, is potentially fatal and significantly contributes to increased healthcare costs and impaired quality of life in affected patients and caregivers.
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