The Inside Story of Bruns Syndrome

  I. Bruns syndrome aliases: ①Postural changeSyndrome; ②Head position change syndrome; ③Bruns head position change syndrome; ④Bruns symptomatic postural change syndrome.  The syndrome was first reported and described by Bruns in 1902, and named Bruns syndrome by Alpers and Yeskin in 1949. It is characterized by severe headache, vertigo and eye lesions during head and body position changes.  Etiology: It is caused by parasites, tumors and other occupying lesions and multiple sclerosis, which involve the fourth ventricle and adjacent areas, causing a sharp increase in cranial pressure due to obstruction of cerebrospinal fluid pathways and vestibular dysfunction. Alpers and Yaskin have suggested four possible etiologic factors: (1) obstruction of the ventricular system during cephalometric changes, causing intermittent hydrocephalus.  (2) Elevated blood pressure may stimulate the vagus nerve within the medulla.  (3) Increased local pressure in the great arteries or impaired venous return during cephalic changes.  (4) Vestibular dysfunction.  Ocular features: blackness, flash hallucinations, gaze palsy, oculomotor disorders, partial ocular muscle paralysis (third cranial nerve damage), and visual abnormalities may occur during the attack.  Systemic features: 1. Severe headache, nausea, vomiting, vertigo when the position or head position is changed. 2.  2. The patient is in a forced head position (forced to change head and body position to avoid discomfort), with forward or lateral flexion and tonic neck contraction.  3.Ataxia, irregular breathing, asphyxia, syncope, tachycardia, etc. occur simultaneously.  4.Cranial X-ray, ventriculography, MRI, and cranial CT scan may help to diagnose.  VI. Treatment: neurosurgical treatment.