Steno-occlusive Intracranial Large Vessel Arteriopathies in Childhood: A Pattern Oriented Approach to Neuroimaging Diagnosis

Neuroimaging Clin N Am. 2024 Nov;34(4):601-613. doi: 10.1016/j.nic.2024.08.022.

Abstract

Intracranial steno-occlusive large vessel arteriopathies refer to abnormalities of the arterial wall that typically express luminal stenosis. Notably, some entities that can find themselves within this category may also express luminal dilation, and/or aneurysm formation as an alternative phenotype. Intracranial steno-occlusive large vessel arteriopathies are a leading cause of arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) in children, often progress, and can predispose to recurrent brain infarction. Intracranial arterial dissections account for a subset of cases expressing the focal cerebral arteriopathy (FCA) phenotype because the affected arterial segment, clinical presentation, and AIS patterns are very similar to the inflammatory subtype of FCA.

Keywords: Focal cerebral arteriopathy; Intracranial arteriopathy; Intracranial dissection; Moyamoya.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Brain / blood supply
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging
  • Cerebral Angiography / methods
  • Cerebral Arterial Diseases / diagnostic imaging
  • Cerebral Arteries / abnormalities
  • Cerebral Arteries / diagnostic imaging
  • Child
  • Humans
  • Intracranial Arterial Diseases / diagnostic imaging
  • Neuroimaging* / methods