Een meisje met een subarachnoïdale bloeding

Background

Subarachnoid hemorrhage in children is rare. The most common cause is trauma, followed by an arteriovenous malformation, aneurysm or tumor.

Case description

We describe the case of an 11-year-old girl who developed sudden headache with nausea and vomiting during athletics training. Her neurological exam was normal. With imaging and a lumbar puncture a subarachnoid hemorrhage was diagnosed, based on a ruptured saccular aneurysm of the right middle cerebral artery. Endovascular treatment was unsuccessful, after which the aneurysm was treated surgically. Postoperative recovery was uneventful. Additional tests for underlying conditions were negative.

Conclusion

Also in a child with acute headache, nausea, and vomiting, the diagnosis of a subarachnoid hemorrhage should be considered, even if neurological examination is normal. Expeditious diagnosis and treatment are important in order to prevent rebleeding.

Conflict of interest and financial support: ICMJE forms provided by the authors are available online along with the full text of this article.