[Anatomoclinical and angiographic study of a case of disseminated thromboangiosis with predominant cerebral manifestations]

Abstract

The authors describe the case of a patient of 22 with hypertension and livedo reticularis who, after presenting with a left brachial monoparesis became progressively demented over a period of five years and died at the age of 27 from a cerebro-meningeal haemorrhage. Angiographically, diffuse distal obliteration of the cerebral arteries was seen with deep networks of the moyamoya type involving the lenticulostriate arteries; similar changes were present in the upper left limb. Histopathological investigations showed obliterative thromboangiitis affecting not only the cerebrum, the brain stem and the cerebellum, but also the viscera. Analysis of this case and consideration of the theoretical possibilities leads the authors to urge that thromboangiosis together with its cerebral manifestations should be considered a nosological entity.