A Case of Contrast Leakage Mimicking Intraventricular Hemorrhage in a Patient with Intravenous Thrombolysis

Abstract

Contrast leakage on non-enhanced brain computed tomography (CT) is a common phenomenon after diagnostic or interventional cerebral angiography in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Contrast leakage is known to be related to the loosening of the blood-brain barrier. Sometimes, the contrast leakage on non-enhanced brain CT has been mistaken for intracranial hemorrhage. Differentiating the contrast leakage from the intracranial hemorrhage on non-enhanced brain CT is a very important issue, because subsequent treatment after intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) or intra-arterial thrombolysis would depend on the result of brain CT after thrombolysis. Recently, we experienced a case of contrast leakage mimicking intraventricular hemorrhage in a patient with IVT. The contrast leakage into the lateral ventricles after IVT is not a common phenomenon. We describe here our case.

Keywords: Tissue plasminogen activator; contrast media; intracranial hemorrhage; magnetic resonance imaging.