Intracranial hypertension as the primary symptom of gastric signet-ring cell carcinoma: A case report and literature review

Factors connected with anxiety and other neuropsychiatric symptoms in advanced gastric cancer

OBJECTIVE

The aim of study was to determine factors connected with neuropsychiatric symptoms and anxiety in patients with terminal stomach cancer.

METHODS

We analysed retrospectively 134 terminal stomach cancer patients admitted to Palliative Care Unit.

RESULTS

Patients with anxiety had a greater chance for emergency admission, higher Numerical Rating Scale result, occurrence of cachexia and neuropsychiatric symptoms, longer duration of treatment, higher albumin concentration and lower glucose concentration.Patients with neuropsychiatric symptoms had greater chance for emergency admission, higher Performance Status scale note, occurrence of dyselectrolytemia, lower albumin concentration. Patients with those symptoms had more than 7 times greater chance for death.

CONCLUSION

It is important to know factors connected with neuropsychiatric symptoms and anxiety because thanks to that we could avoid those dangerous clinical symptoms.

Extreme intracranial pressure elevation > 90 mmHg in an awake patient with primary CNS lymphoma-case report

We describe a patient with primary CNS lymphomas, awake despite an extreme ICP elevation. A 48-year-old woman presented with headache since 1 month, and bilateral papillary edema was observed. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed diffuse infiltration around the petrous bone. Following external ventricular drainage (EVD) placement, ICP levels of > 90 mmHg were recorded while the patient was fully awake. Cytology revealed an aggressive primary CNS lymphoma. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage at high opening pressure levels was required. We conclude that extreme ICP elevations, treatable by CSF drainage, can be observed without a reduced level of consciousness.