Cerebral perfusion and vascular reserve in fibromuscular dysplasia of the internal carotid artery.
We report of a case of abnormal cerebral perfusion but normal vascular reserve by single-photon emission computed tomographic imaging in a 65-year-old woman with fibromuscular dysplasia of the internal carotid artery (ICA). The patient had an aneurysm in her left ICA at the level of second cervical vertebra without evidence of stenosis and was excised with primary anastomosis 3 years ago when she presented with months of dizziness. But follow-up angiography showed high-grade long segmental stenosis in her left ICA, characteristic of fibromuscular dysplasia. Because she was asymptomatic with normal vascular reserve, she was treated medically. This report suggests the usefulness of functional imaging in fibromuscular dysplasia. The potential improvement of cerebral perfusion in this rare disease with acetazolamide or dipyridamole is worthy of further clinical investigation.
Wong
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Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Beven
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Go
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