Deterioration of vascular dementia caused by recurrent multiple small emboli from thoracic aortic atheroma.
We report a case of a 77-year-old man with deteriorating dementia caused by repeated multiple small cerebral embolisms from a thoracic aortic atheroma. Multiple small embolisms were confirmed by diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI). The patient ultimately died due to aortic dissection. Pathological examinations revealed that no causative embolic source for multiple embolisms could be detected other than severe atheromatous ulcer in thoracic aorta. This case demonstrates that severe aortic atheroma has the potential to precipitate deterioration of vascular dementia.
Takahashi
Kazuo
K
Department of Neurology, Hematology and Rheumatology, Shimane University School of Medicine, Izumo.
Iijima
Kenichi
K
Nagasaki
Makoto
M
Torii
Ikuko
I
Yamaguchi
Shuhei
S
Kobayashi
Shotai
S
D000368:Aged; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000077407:Cilostazol; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D017700:Embolism, Cholesterol / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012008:Recurrence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013777:Tetrazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use
D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D013777:Tetrazoles; D000077407:Cilostazol