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Clinical and pathophysiological features of amaurosis fugax in Japanese stroke patients

S Terao1, A Takeda, N Miura

  • 1Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute.

Internal Medicine (Tokyo, Japan)
|March 25, 2000
PubMed

Insights

Amaurosis fugax (AmF) in Japanese patients is primarily caused by thromboembolism from intracranial carotid artery atheromatous lesions. Less common causes include external carotid artery micro-thromboemboli or hemodynamic insufficiency.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Vascular Medicine
  • Ophthalmology

Background:

  • Amaurosis fugax (AmF) is often attributed to extracranial carotid artery (EC-CA) atherothrombosis in Caucasians.
  • Limited research exists on AmF in Japanese populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the clinical and pathophysiological features of AmF in Japanese patients.
  • To elucidate the pathogenetic mechanisms of AmF in this demographic.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 43 Japanese AmF patients from a cohort of 2,056 acute ischemic stroke patients.
  • Utilized angiography and transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD).
  • Examined precipitating factors, treatment, and prognosis.

Main Results:

  • Intracranial lesions identified in 51% of patients, extracranial in 37%.
  • Thromboembolism originated from the internal carotid artery (ICA) in 25 patients.
  • Micro-emboli from the external carotid artery (ECA) or hemodynamic insufficiency were less frequent causes.

Conclusions:

  • AmF in this Japanese cohort is predominantly linked to atheromatous disease of the intracranial carotid artery (IC-CA).
  • ECA micro-thromboembolism and hemodynamic insufficiency are potential, though less common, etiologies for AmF.
Abstract

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