Clinical analysis on ischemic stroke caused by intracranial artery fenestration

Abstract

Objective To discuss the clinical features of ischemic stroke caused by intracranial artery fenestration, and to explore possible correlation between ischemic stroke and intracranial artery fenestration. Methods and Results We retrospectively studied 11 cases of ischemic stroke caused by intracranial artery fenestration from December 2012 to October 2017. Cranial MRI showed the infarcts were located in pons (5 cases, 5/11), posterior limb of internal capsule (3 cases, 3/11), left thalamus (one case, 1/11), left centrum semiovale (one case, 1/11) and bilateral occipital lobes combined with left internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysm (one case, 1/11). MRA showed fenestration in basilar artery (BA) was found in 9 cases (9/11), fenestration in left vertebral artery (VA) was found in one case (1/11), fenestration in right posterior cerebral artery (PCA) was found in one case (1/11). Five cases of pontine infarction were caused by BA fenestration (4 cases) and right PCA fenestration (one case); 3 cases of internal capsule posterior limb infarction were caused by BA fenestration; one case of left thalamic infarction was caused by left VA fenestration; one case of left centrum semiovale infarction was caused by BA fenestration; one case of bilateral occipital lobes infarction was caused by BA fenestration. All patients were treated by antiplatelet aggregation, lipid regulation and scavenging free radical. No patient recurred ischemic stroke. Conclusions Intracranial artery fenestration may results in focal hemodynamic changes, and is closely related to ischemic stroke.

DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2018.12.009