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Transient global amnesia after cerebral angiography with iohexol
1Servicio de Neurología, Hospital General Universitario de Valencia, Spain.
Neuroradiology
|January 1, 1992
Summary
Transient global amnesia may result from arterial spasm, particularly in patients without other cerebrovascular disease. This case highlights a potential ischemic cause for transient global amnesia following subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Vascular Neurology
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) can lead to delayed cerebral ischemia.
- Transient global amnesia (TGA) is a distinct neurological condition characterized by sudden, temporary memory loss.
- The etiology of TGA remains incompletely understood, with various hypotheses proposed.
Observation:
- A patient with no prior history of migraine, epilepsy, or vascular risk factors experienced SAH.
- During vertebral angiography with iohexol, basilar artery spasm was observed.
- The patient subsequently developed transient global amnesia.
Findings:
- The observed basilar artery spasm during angiography correlated temporally with the onset of TGA.
- Follow-up angiography three months later showed normalization of the basilar artery without contrast-induced complications.
- This clinical course suggests a potential link between arterial spasm and TGA in the absence of other cerebrovascular pathology.
Implications:
- This case supports the hypothesis of an ischemic origin for TGA.
- Arterial spasm, specifically, may be a causative factor in TGA, especially in individuals without other identifiable cerebrovascular disease.
- Further research into vasospasm as a mechanism for TGA is warranted.