Multiple Intracerebral Hemorrhages in an Old Patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis

A 78-year-old Caucasian man was admitted in the Department of Neurology for visual disturbances, started two days before. The next day the patient experienced headache, fever and gait disturbances. He had hypertension, diabetes mellitus, an ischemic stroke 13 years ago, longstanding seronegative rheumatoid arthritis (17 years), polynodular goiter, right ischio-pubian fracture and right femoral vein thrombosis a year ago due to a car accident, since he is treated with oral anticoagulants associated to antiaggregant, hypotensors, statin and oral antidiabetics. The neurologic examination had evidenced nuchal rigidity, left homonymous hemianopsia, left central facial palsy, ataxia of the inferior limbs with wide-based gait, achilean reflexes abolished bilaterally, bilaterally abolished plantar reflexes, ideomotor apraxia, dysarthria, hypoprosexia, and preserved consciousness patient. A non-contrast cerebral CT scan had shown right temporal and parieto-occipital intraparenchymatous hemorrhages, a right frontal sequelar lesion, multiple old lacunar infarcts, cortical atrophy. Laboratory findings included an inflammatory syndrome, absence of rheumatoid arthritis positive serology, normal coagulogram, an elevated proteinuria. The cerebral IRM performed on the seventh day of hospitalisation was suggestive for subacute right parietal hemorrhage, old cerebral infarction in the right anterior cerebral artery area, old lacunar infarcts and cerebral atrophy. The anticoagulant and antiaggregant treatment was stopped after a generalized tonic-clonic seizure occurred. Antiedematous, hypotensor, anticonvulsivant, beta-blocker, and symptomatic treatment was started, while the antidiabetic treatment was continued. All symptoms remitted. Arguments for amyloid angiopathy in our patient are previous non-cardioembolic ischemic stroke and a chronic inflammatory disease-rheumatoid arthritis in his personal medical history.