Raza Muhammad Hassa, Khan Muhammad Hamza, Anjum Abdul Sattar, Anjum Sadia, Saeed Faria, Pandey Ajay
Department of internal medicine, Nishtar Hospital, Multan, Pakistan.
Department of diagnostic radiology and imaging, Nishtar Hospital, Multan, Pakistan.
Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2025 Jul 23;87(9):6158-6162. doi: 10.1097/MS9.0000000000003635. eCollection 2025 Sep.
Age-inconsistent brain atrophy refers to brain shrinkage that is not proportional to chronological age. This case report is first to report a young patient who developed age-inconsistent brain atrophy due to post cardiac arrest brain injury (PCABI). Due to limitations in the available data, we report our experience and novel magnetic resonance (MR) imaging changes in the brain over the course of 2 months.
We report a case of a 28-year-old woman who developed sudden cardiac arrest during a routine cesarean section, with loss of consciousness for an unspecified period of time. She was resuscitated, intubated and later transferred to intensive care unit (ICU); where her Glasgow Coma Scale on arrival was 4/15. Detailed history, physical examination, and radiological investigations confirmed the diagnosis of PCABI. She was treated in ICU along with physiotherapy for speedy recovery.
PCABI is the major cause of long-term disability and mortality following cardiac arrest. In this novel case report, we establish that it can lead to age-inconsistent brain atrophy.
Serial MR imaging scans of the brain should be performed for suspected or confirmed PCABI to evaluate brain atrophy and other changes. This will not only aid in deciphering residual brain deficits but also help in guiding the correct management of the patients.
年龄不符的脑萎缩是指脑萎缩程度与实际年龄不成比例。本病例报告首次报道了一名因心脏骤停后脑损伤（PCABI）而出现年龄不符脑萎缩的年轻患者。由于现有数据有限，我们报告了该患者在2个月内的经历及脑部新出现的磁共振成像（MR）变化。
我们报告了一名28岁女性的病例，她在常规剖宫产手术期间发生心脏骤停，意识丧失时间不明。她被复苏、插管，随后转至重症监护病房（ICU）；入院时格拉斯哥昏迷量表评分为4/15。详细的病史、体格检查及影像学检查确诊为PCABI。她在ICU接受治疗并接受物理治疗以促进快速康复。
PCABI是心脏骤停后长期残疾和死亡的主要原因。在这份新颖的病例报告中，我们证实它可导致年龄不符的脑萎缩。
对于疑似或确诊的PCABI患者，应进行脑部系列MR成像扫描以评估脑萎缩及其他变化。这不仅有助于解读残留的脑功能缺损，还能帮助指导患者的正确管理。
