Case 5-2016: A 43-Year-Old Man with Altered Mental Status and a History of Alcohol Use

A 43-year-old man with a history of alcohol use presented with altered mental status. The initial blood pressure was 236/158 mm Hg; imaging studies of the head revealed ventriculomegaly and a mass at the foramen of Monro. A diagnostic procedure was performed. Presentation of Case Dr. Sarah K. Bourne (Neurosurgery): A 43-year-old man with a history of alcohol-use disorder was admitted to this hospital because of altered mental status. On the day of admission, the patient was found by emergency medical services personnel, who had been contacted by a neighbor. He was sitting on a mattress, was incontinent of feces and urine, and was surrounded by empty prescription containers for gabapentin and bupropion, along with empty bottles of vodka. He had last been seen by neighbors 4 days earlier, when he reportedly locked himself in his apartment after purchasing alcohol. No other . . .