Severe diffuse intracranial vasospasm as a cause of extensive migrainous cerebral infarction.
We report on a 47-year-old white female with a long history of recurrent episodes of migraine with aura, who progressed to develop a continuous intractable headache during the course of which cortical blindness and quadriparesis occurred due to extensive and bilateral hemispheric cerebral infarction. Severe diffuse intracranial major arterial vasospasm was demonstrated by arteriogram. All studies were negative for CNS vasculitis, including cerebral biopsy. The arterial spasm reversed itself, but the patient did not improve. Smoking was the only additional risk factor. Vasospasm is an important cause to be considered in migrainous infarctions. The use of vasoconstrictor agents such as DHE in patients with migraine with prolonged aura has to be carefully re-evaluated.
Houston Headache Clinic, Texas 77004.
L C
LC
Sanin
N T
NT
Mathew
D001766:Blindness / Q000209:etiology; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D010291:Paresis / Q000209:etiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed