CASE REPORT
Spontaneous cerebral haemorrhage in a young weight lifter: A case report and a review of current literature
 
 
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Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Italy
 
 
Submission date: 2017-02-22
 
 
Acceptance date: 2017-05-02
 
 
Online publication date: 2018-03-02
 
 
Publication date: 2019-11-17
 
 
Corresponding author
Gabriele Cioni   

Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50132 Florence, Italy. Tel.: +39 055 7949420, Fax: +39 055 7949418.
 
 
Pol. Ann. Med. 2018;25(1):121-124
 
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
Intracranial haemorrhage is the leading cause of death related to a head trauma in sports, and spontaneous cerebral bleedings are a very rare condition in young athletes.

Aim:
We propose the case of a young weight lifter, androgenic anabolic steroids abuser, who developed a spontaneous massive intracranial haemorrhage during exertion.

Case study:
The patient was a weight lifter at a competitive level, who had exercised on a regular basis for the past 5 years, assuming anabolic steroids and proteins for some years. Moreover, he referred a negative family history for spontaneous bleeding in the brain. At the visit time he presented very high blood pressure values.

Results and discussion:
In this case report, the side of the cerebral lesion was typical for a hypertensive brain damage. High blood pressure values, and the alteration of sodium and potassium were compatible with hyperaldosteronism; moreover, cardiac ultrasound assessment showed a hypertrophic ventricle condition, secondary to a chronic untreated hypertension.

Conclusions:
The chronic use of anabolic steroids could contribute to hypertensive complications, such as intracranial haemorrhages.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST
None declared.
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