[Peripheral haemosiderosis of the central nervous system]

Rev Neurol (Paris). 2003 Jul;159(6-7 Pt 1):659-62.
[Article in French]

Abstract

We report 2 cases of patients with hemosiderosis of the central nervous system. The diagnosis was made in 1999 in a stroke unit. The patients had both deafness, but their clinical presentation was different, due to heterogeneous features of this pathology. Hemosiderosis of the central nervous system is due to chronic subarachnoidal hemorrhage. Magnetic resonance imaging is extremely sensitive to the presence of hemosiderin and is the investigation of choice enabling diagnosis and sometimes bleeding source (50 p. cent). The interest of our observations concerned the source of bleeding. In the first patient, diagnostic work-up was negative. For the second one, the deposition of hemosiderin was explained by 3 possible sources. If a bleeding source can be identified, surgery is the optimal treatment. Copper chelation, like Trientine can be used, but there is no evidence-based for using this treatment.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Central Nervous System / metabolism
  • Central Nervous System / pathology*
  • Chelating Agents / therapeutic use
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Hemosiderin / metabolism
  • Hemosiderosis / drug therapy
  • Hemosiderosis / metabolism
  • Hemosiderosis / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Trientine / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Chelating Agents
  • Hemosiderin
  • Trientine