Superficial siderosis of the central nervous system and anticoagulant therapy: a case report

Superficial siderosis of the central nervous system is a rare condition characterized by deposition of haemosiderin in the leptomeninges and in the subpial layers of the brain and spinal cord. With the widespread use of magnetic resonance imaging, an increasing number of cases of superficial siderosis are being discovered, secondary forms being more frequent than idiopathic ones. We report a 78-year-old man in oral anticoagulant therapy, who presented neurosensory hearing loss, gait ataxia and spastic paraparesis. Magnetic resonance imaging suggested the diagnosis of superficial siderosis of the central nervous system, without an evident bleeding source.