The clinical picture of ectasia of the intracerebral arteries

TLDR

Ectasia of intracranial arteries is a rare vascular disorder often associated with other vascular disease, characterized by defects in the internal elastic lamina and presenting with diverse neurological symptoms, especially visual disturbances. The study examined 31 patients with intracranial arterial ectasia. Carotid involvement was more common than vertebrobasilar, and overall mortality was 52%, with worse outcomes in the vertebrobasilar group likely due to greater neural compression.

Abstract

Thirty-one patients with ectasia of intracranial arteries were studied. The carotid system was more frequently involved than the vertebrobasilar. The condition is relatively rare and usually occurs with other vascular disease. Ectasia presents with a variety of neurological symptoms, amongst which visual disorders are common. The overall mortality was 52%, but the prognosis was appreciably worse for the vertebrobasilar group, probably because of a higher incidence of compression of surrounding neural structures. Defects in the internal elastic lamina, with or without associated atheroma, are often found in the affected arteries.