Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome Associated with Infundibular Dilation
Héctor Montenegro-Rosales1, Blanca González-Alonso1, Omar Cárdenas-Sáenz2
1Medica Sur Hospital, Magnetic Resonance Imaging Department, Mexico City, Mexico.
Background:
Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) is defined as a clinical and radiological syndrome that comprises a group of disorders characterized by sudden-onset severe headache and segmental vasoconstriction of the cerebral arteries with resolution within 3 months.
Case Presentation:
A 51-year-old female patient with a 2-week history of sudden-onset severe headache, visual disturbances and cerebellum; no relevant imaging findings, except for an infundibular dilation at the origin of the posterior communicating artery, and so, angiography was performed. When symptoms persisted, a new imaging study was carried out with findings of RCVS as the cause of the symptoms from the beginning.
Conclusions:
Findings of RCVS can be obtained in various vasculopathies of the nervous system and vasculitis, being misdiagnosed, and so, clinical suspicion is essential; if vasoconstriction is not demonstrated on the initial image and other diagnoses have been excluded, the patient should be managed as having possible or probable RCVS.
Learning Points:
RCVS is a clinical and radiological syndrome that comprises a group of disorders characterized by sudden-onset severe headache and segmental vasoconstriction of the cerebral arteries.It can occur spontaneously or can be triggered by a specific "trigger" in 25 to 60% of cases.It commonly affects women between 20 and 50 years of age, but children and adolescents may also be affected.
