Developmental Venous Anomaly Presenting as an Acute Stroke Mimic

Several mimics of acute ischemic stroke may complicate the decision to administer intravenous thrombolysis. Developmental venous anomalies (DVA) are fairly common variants of normal cerebral vasculature and may occasionally present with acute focal neurologic symptoms. We report a case of DVA presenting with the acute onset of focal neurologic deficits and focal hypodensities on the CT of the brain, resulting in a dilemma regarding whether to administer intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator (IV tPA) for stroke thrombolysis. Recognition of subtle brain changes on the CT that were inconsistent with an acute ischemic stroke led to further imaging and a definitive diagnosis. Developmental venous anomalies should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke.