Relapsing polychondritis coupling with cerebral amyloid deposit inducing cerebral amyloid angiopathy-related inflammation

J Thromb Thrombolysis. 2020 May;49(4):681-684. doi: 10.1007/s11239-020-02109-4.

Abstract

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy-related inflammation is a syndrome of reversible encephalopathy with cerebral amyloid angiopathy, however the pathology is not well understood. We clear a part of the pathology through the first case of an 80-year-old man with cerebral amyloid angiopathy-related inflammation induced by relapsing polychondritis (RP) analysis. An 80-year-old man was diagnosed with RP by auricular cartilage biopsy. Almost no abnormality including intracranial microbleeding was detected by cranial magnetic resonance image (MRI) at diagnosis. However, he developed a headache and hallucination after five months. Seven-month cranial MRI showed novel, multiple, intracranial microbleeding, especially in the bilateral but asymmetry posterior, temporal, and parietal lobes. 123I-N-isopropyl-p-iodoamphetamine single-photon emission computed tomography showed increased cerebral blood flow in the bilateral posterior lobes. After treatment, both of his neurological symptoms and increased cerebral blood flow improved to mild. Photon emission computed tomography using Pittsburgh compound B (PiB) for evaluation of brain amyloidosis at 12 months after onset showed an amyloid deposit in the bilateral frontal lobes, but a lack of uptake corresponded to the RP lesions. Our case suggests that inflammation coupled with an amyloid deposit, induced the multiple intracranial bleeding, and resulted in the lack of PiB uptake. Findings from our case show that inflammation including excess blood flow coupled with an amyloid deposit synergistically facilitate intracranial bleeding.

Keywords: CAARI; Cerebral amyloid angiopathy; PiB-PET; Relapsing chondritis; Vasculitis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy / complications*
  • Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy / diagnostic imaging
  • Humans
  • Inflammation / complications*
  • Intracranial Hemorrhages / diagnostic imaging
  • Intracranial Hemorrhages / etiology*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Polychondritis, Relapsing / complications*
  • Positron-Emission Tomography