title: Vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia associated with Marfan syndrome.
abstract: We report a 37-year-old woman with Marfan syndrome (MFS) who presented with acute myelopathy secondary to a subdural spinal hematoma. The patient died of a subarachnoid hemorrhage 4 days later. Autopsy showed a markedly ectatic vertebrobasilar system with fragmentation of the internal elastic lamina. Microscopic examination of the aorta similarly showed a fragmented internal elastic lamina. We discuss the implications of our patient's early onset vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia; this intracranial disease represents a rare cause of subarachnoid hemorrhage in MFS.
authors.affiliation: Cerebrovascular Program and Division of Neuro-Critical Care, Department of Neurology, and the Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD; and the Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA.
authors.forename: I E
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Silverman
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Berman
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Dike
authors.forename: G Y
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Litt
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Wityk