Suspicious neuroimaging pattern of thrombotic microangiopathy

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Hematology
• Vascular Medicine

Background:

• Thrombotic microangiopathies (TMAs) are a group of disorders characterized by microvascular occlusion.
• Key features include thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) and intravascular hemolysis (red blood cell destruction).
• Neuroimaging findings in TMAs are diverse, with limited reports on specific patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the spectrum of neuroimaging findings in patients with thrombotic microangiopathies.
• To specifically examine the occurrence of hemorrhagic infarctions in a cohort of TMA patients.
• To characterize the pattern of these hemorrhagic infarctions on neuroimaging.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of medical records and neuroimaging studies for patients diagnosed with TMA.
• Analysis of neuroimaging findings, focusing on the presence and pattern of infarctions.
• Correlation of imaging findings with clinical characteristics of the TMAs.

Main Results:

• A series of 12 patients with TMA were identified.
• All 12 patients demonstrated a consistent pattern of multifocal cortical and subcortical hemorrhagic infarctions on neuroimaging.
• This pattern contrasts with previous literature reporting only isolated cases.

Conclusions:

• Multifocal cortical and subcortical hemorrhagic infarctions represent a significant neuroimaging pattern in thrombotic microangiopathies.
• This finding expands the understanding of TMA-related neurological complications.
• Further research is warranted to elucidate the pathophysiology and clinical implications of this specific neuroimaging presentation.