title: Dolichoectatic cervical arteries (carotid and vertebral arteries) heralded by recurrent cerebral ischemia: case illustration.
abstract: A case of a 61-year-old man with recurrent episodes of cerebral transient ischemic attacks is reported. The patient had a history of cigarette smoking, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes mellitus. Before these episodes, the patient had no clinical symptoms and signs of cerebral pathology. Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed microvascular lesions in the white matter of the cerebral hemispheres. Digital subtraction arteriogram revealed the aortic arch dolichoic shape and course of the great vessels originating from it, whereas there were no pathological findings from the intracranial vessels. This study describes a case of the existence of distal dolichoectasia of the vertebral and carotid arteries without intracranial dolichoectasia. It seems that such a type of dolichoectasia does not influence the performance status of a patient, but when a critical point is crossed, patients suffer from cerebrovascular disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Anticancer Institute Agios Savas, University of Athens, Athens, Greece. sofiamou@otenet.gr
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mourgela
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Anagnostopoulou
authors.forename: Antonios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sakellaropoulos
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spanos
mesh_terms: D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001027:Aortography / Q000379:methods; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D054022:Cerebrum / Q000473:pathology; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014715:Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents