An autopsy case of hemilaterally dominant and systematic/extensive border zone infarction: sequela of preceding atherosclerotic obstruction of one common carotid artery followed by repeated episodes of systemic hypotension.
A 68-year-old man was admitted to St Marianna University Hospital on account of loss of consciousness with left hemiplegia. During the hospital recovery course with a rehabilitation procedure, the patient's blood pressure was very unstable, fluctuating between high (210/110 mmHg) and low (110/70 mmHg) values accompanied by a fainting sensation. A second stroke of left hemiplegia took place 1 month later. Afterwards, his condition worsened to tetraplegia with dysarthria. Three months later, lung cancer with multiple metastasis including his left neck was found and he died from adynamic ileus 6 months after the onset of the present illness. Autopsy revealed nearly complete atheromatous obstruction and more than 50% stenosis, respectively, of his right common and internal/external carotid arteries. His intracranial arterial trunks and main branches were all patent with localized atherosclerosis of only moderate degree. The pathology of the brain existed predominantly in the right hemisphere in the border zone area between the anterior and middle cerebral arteries systematically with numerous disseminated foci of complete or incomplete necrosis, white matter and gray matter being involved independently. Involvement of centrum semiovale white matter is more extensive and intensive than that of gray matter. Of the gray matter, cerebral cortex as well as striatum, periventricular (the third ventricle) gray and cerebellar cortex was involved. The specific characteristic topography and distribution of the lesions together with their histopathology are described in detail with illustration. It is concluded that this case represents an outstanding example of hemodynamic cerebral circulatory insufficiency doubly caused by hemilateral carotid artery stenosis and repeated episodes of systemic hypotension.
Sugihara
H
H
Departments of Neurology, St Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki-shi, Japan. h2sugi@marianna-u.ac.jp
Akizawa
N
N
Yanagisawa
T
T
Horiuchi
M
M
Takahashi
Y
Y
Abe
M
M
Sakiyama
T
T
Tadokoro
M
M
Fujisawa
K
K
D000368:Aged; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000473:pathology; D002342:Carotid Artery, External / Q000473:pathology; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000473:pathology; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007022:Hypotension / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D009336:Necrosis