Acknowledgments Supported in part by National Institutes of Health grants AG032958 and NS094758. Introduction Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is a ubiquitous, neurotropic alphaherpesvirus. Primary infection usually causes varicella (chickenpox), after which virus becomes latent in cranial nerve, dorsal root, and…
Introduction Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a chronic, occlusive cerebrovascular disease with an unknown etiology. It is characterized by steno-occlusive changes at the terminal portion of the internal carotid artery (ICA), and an abnormal vascular network at the base of the…
Fabry disease (FD), also known as angiokeratoma corporis diffusum , is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder caused by deficiency of α-galactosidase A (α-gal). This defect causes the accumulation of glycosphingolipids in cells, including endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells of…
Introduction Cerebrovascular diseases constitute the fourth leading cause of death in the United States annually and the third leading cause of mortality in developed countries . In addition, it is the number one cause of permanent disability globally and the…
Introduction Age constitutes one of the most important nonmodifiable risk factors for cerebral infarction. About 15% of all the ischemic strokes occur in young adults. Since stroke predominately affects the elderly, most of the data gathered in pivotal clinical trials…
Introduction There are various types of stroke in children, including arterial ischemic strokes, venous infarctions due to venous sinus thrombosis, intracerebral hemorrhages, and subarachnoid hemorrhages. Stroke is a relatively rare occurrence in children, but can lead to significant morbidity and…
Introduction Ischemic infarcts in the brain can manifest with a variety of cognitive and behavioral disorders. For many years, use of autopsy and clinical–pathological correlation in stroke patients formed the basis for the anatomic localization of various cognitive functions. In…
Introduction Stroke is common following trauma. Indeed, direct cerebrovascular injury during a traumatic event can often lead to immediate ischemic and hemorrhagic complications. However, recent definitions for hemorrhagic stroke have, by policy, excluded etiologies that are secondary to trauma .…
Etiology and Physiopathology Dissection is a focal arteriopathy caused by a hematoma inside the arterial wall. It occurs most commonly in the extracranial and most mobile segments of the internal carotid and vertebral arteries. The specific vulnerability of this particular…
Introduction The term “ reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome ” (RCVS) refers to a group of conditions characterized by segmental narrowing and dilatation of multiple intracerebral arteries lasting days to weeks, usually accompanied with recurrent thunderclap headaches [ ]. Historically, patients…