The Hemorrhage that Wasn’t: Polycythemia Presenting as a Pseudointracranial Hemorrhage in Pedestrian vs Automobile Trauma Alert

Year 2018, Volume: 9 Issue: 2, 26 - 29, 01.04.2018

Andrew W Phillips John H Baird Andrew L Wentland Rachel L Yang Tarik F Massoud

Abstract

Introduction: Although polycythemia vera is rarely seen, absolute polycythemia is seen more frequently and can drastically change imagine interpretation when taken out of context of the patient’s chief complaint. Case Report: We report the case of a 21-year-old male without any known medical history who presented as a trauma patient initially diagnosed with acute subarachnoid and subdural hemorrhages. Further examination of the imaging and later serum laboratory findings demonstrated a primary diagnosis of absolute polycythemia, which was an incidental diagnosis that resulted in the patient’s care team and disposition being changed.Conclusion: Absolute polycythemia is not uncommon, and its causes vary from congenital and myeloproliferative disorders to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and sleep apnea. It can cause pseudoenhancement in noncontrast computed tomography (CT) scans because of the increased protein level in the blood, and emergency physicians should consider all differential diagnoses of pseudoenhancement

Keywords

Polycythemia, trauma, erythrocytosis, false positive interpretation

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