Dilative arteriopathy and basilar artery dolichoectasia complicating late-onset Pompe disease.
BACKGROUND
Strokes related to intracranial aneurysm or arteriopathy have been reported in a few patients with late-onset Pompe disease. These reports suggested that cerebral vessel involvement could be an underrecognized complication of this disease.


METHODS
We report cerebral artery involvement in three French patients with late-onset Pompe disease.


RESULTS
The first patient died at age 35 years from complications of a giant fusiform aneurysm of the basilar artery, and her 34-year-old sister showed evidence of dolichoectatic basilar artery on magnetic resonance angiography. A dilative arteriopathy complicated with carotid artery dissection was diagnosed in the third patient, aged 50 years. Two patients are currently being treated with enzyme replacement therapy (alglucosidase alfa), and regular angiographic follow-up showed the absence of progression of vascular abnormalities in one of them.


CONCLUSIONS
These observations, combined with previously reported cases, confirm that Pompe disease should be recognized as a predisposing condition to dilative arteriopathy and cerebral aneurysm formation, although the real incidence of these vascular complications remains unknown.
Laforêt
P
P
Institut de Myologie, Bâtiment Babinski, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75651 Paris Cedex 13, France. pascal.laforet@psl.aphp.fr
Petiot
P
P
Nicolino
M
M
Orlikowski
D
D
Caillaud
C
C
Pellegrini
N
N
Froissart
R
R
Petitjean
T
T
Maire
I
I
Chabriat
H
H
Hadrane
L
L
Annane
D
D
Eymard
B
B
D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D001488:Basilar Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006009:Glycogen Storage Disease Type II / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D014715:Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*