Straight sinus stenosis as a proposed cause of perimesencephalic non-aneurysmal haemorrhage

Abstract

Perimesencephalic nonaneurysmal haemorrhage (PMNH), a term first coined in 1985, is a diagnosis of exclusion. It is considered a benign form of subarachnoid haemorrhage with a good prognosis and a low risk of rebleeding. Its precise aetiology has not yet been determined. Haemorrhage of venous origin has been proposed as a cause, and has been demonstrated to be associated with venous abnormalities of the basal vein of Rosenthal. We present a patient with PMNH in whom an 80% stenosis at the union of the vein of Galen with the straight sinus is demonstrated. We thus propose hypertensive venous rupture secondary to venous sinus stenosis as an alternative cause for PMNH.