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Makiko Rai

Publications and source records attributed to Makiko Rai.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

[Multiple brain infarctions in a young patient with Buerger's disease. A case report of cerebral thromboangiitis obliterans].

We report a 46-year-old woman with Buerger's disease who presented vascular dementia. In her early thirties, she began to feel cold sensation and pain in the lower extremities and later developed Raynaud's phenomenon in the upper extremities. The diagnosis of Buerger's disease was established on the basis of angiographic findings which showed the obstruction of peripheral vessels in both anterior tibial arteries. She was admitted to our hospital because of a transient attack of left brachial monoparesis and two episodes of epileptic seizure with progressive cognitive impairment for preceding five years. Neurological examination revealed acalculia, constructional apraxia, recent memory disturbance, and hyperreflexia of the left limbs without motor disturbance. Brain MRI revealed multiple infarctions mainly located in the border zone territories of the major cerebral arteries. Conventional angiography failed to detect abnormalities of cerebral vessels. She had no cardiovascular abnormality or coagulopathy. Cerebrovascular complications, so-called cerebral thoromboangiitis obliterans (CTAO), occur approximately in 2% of patients with Buerger's disease. CTAO has two types. Type 1 is associated with large artery changes and type 2 is associated with medium and small artery changes. Patients with type 2 CTAO usually have multiple infarcts in the cerebral arterial border zones and may develop progressive cognitive decline without motor deficit. Her clinical features are compatible with type 2 CTAO. While CTAO is a relatively rare manifestation of Buerger's disease, it should be suspected in cases of Buerger's disease in association with cognitive impairment of unknown onset.

Cerebral Infarction↗

[Acute brain infarction clearly demonstrated by using the three-dimensional stereotactic surface projections (3D-SSP) of 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT].

We report a 66-year-old ambidextrous man who suddenly developed aphasia seven days after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery. CT scan performed 30 minutes after onset failed to depict acute ischemic lesion. MR imaging could not be performed because of intrathoracic wires. An emergent angiogram demonstrated filling defect in the right precentral artery territory. Transaxial images of 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT showed hypoperfusion areas in the right frontal and left temporo-parietal regions. Using the three-dimensional stereotactic surface projections (3D-SSP) of 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT, we could clearly detect a sharply demarcated ischemic area which was later confirmed to be an infracted lesion in the follow-up CT. 3D-SSP, thus, appears to be useful for identifying acute infarction in such cases that MRI is impermissible.

Acute Disease↗

Imaging of distal internal carotid artery by ultrasonography with a 3.5-MHz convex probe.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Conventionally, carotid ultrasonography has been performed with a 7.5-MHz linear probe to evaluate the extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA). However, usually only the carotid bulb or proximal portion of the ICA can be evaluated. We attempted to evaluate the distal extracranial ICA with a 3.5-MHz convex probe. METHODS: The subjects were 17 consecutive patients with ICAs free of occlusive disease and 3 other patients with distal extracranial ICA stenosis. Using a 7.5-MHz linear probe and a 3.5-MHz convex probe, we performed long-axis B-mode imaging of the ICAs to evaluate the distance between the distal limit of visualized ICA and the bifurcation of the common carotid artery. RESULTS: The distal limit of the ICA, visualized with a 7.5- or a 3.5-MHz probe, was 31+/-11 or 57+/-8 mm distal to the common carotid artery bifurcation, respectively. In the 3 patients with distal extracranial ICA stenosis, the lesion could be successfully diagnosed with only the 3.5-MHz probe. CONCLUSIONS: This form of carotid imaging is feasible and may be potentially useful in the evaluation of carotid disease.

Angiography, Digital Subtraction↗