MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Stroke secondary to FMD

Skip navigation


Medical Encyclopedia
Other encyclopedia topics:	A-Ag Ah-Ap Aq-Az B-Bk Bl-Bz C-Cg Ch-Co Cp-Cz D-Di Dj-Dz E-Ep Eq-Ez F G H-Hf Hg-Hz I-In Io-Iz J K L-Ln Lo-Lz M-Mf Mg-Mz N O P-Pl Pm-Pz Q R S-Sh Si-Sp Sq-Sz T-Tn To-Tz U V W X Y Z 0-9

Stroke secondary to FMD

Contents of this page:
Illustrations Alternative names Definition Causes, incidence, and risk factors Symptoms Signs and tests	Treatment Expectations (prognosis) Complications Calling your health care provider Prevention

Illustrations

Stroke

Alternative names Return to top

Fibromuscular dysplasia - stroke secondary to

Definition Return to top

Stroke secondary to FMD is an interruption of blood flow to the brain due to deformities in arteries supplying the brain.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors Return to top

Stroke secondary to fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) primarily affects women, especially those older than 50.

FMD is an inherited disorder involving the ongoing destruction of arterial blood vessels. There are areas of increased muscle and fibrous tissue in the wall of the affected arteries, which alternate with enlarged (dilated) areas of destroyed tissue. This irregularity in the arteries increases the risk for stroke.

The disease may affect the neck arteries that supply blood to the brain (carotid) or the arteries within the brain (cerebral) and cause stroke. It may also affect the following arteries:

Kidneys (renal)
Intestinal tract (mesenteric)
Heart (coronary)
Groin (iliac)

Secondary symptoms include high blood pressure, leg pain, heart attack, kidney failure, and other disorders.

Risks include a personal or family history of FMD.

Symptoms Return to top

Weakness or total inability to move a body part
Numbness, tingling or other abnormal sensations
Decreased or lost vision, partial or temporary
Language difficulties (aphasia)
Inability to recognize or identify sensory stimuli (agnosia)
Loss of memory
Vertigo (abnormal sensation of movement)
Loss of coordination
Swallowing difficulties
Personality changes
Mood and emotion changes
Urinary incontinence (lack of control over bladder)
Lack of control over the bowels
Consciousness changes:
- Sleepiness
- Stupor, lethargy
- Coma, loss of consciousness

Signs and tests Return to top

The exact location and extent of the stroke, and changes in the arteries indicating FMD, including berry aneurysms (small ballooned-out areas of the artery), may be seen on:

Head CT scan
Ultrasound of the arteries involved
Head MRI/MRA

An arteriography or angiography of the head may show blood vessel changes such as narrowing of the arteries.

An artery biopsy confirms the diagnosis of FMD (this is not performed on cranial blood vessels).

Treatment Return to top

Careful monitoring can disclose problems with the arteries before injury occurs. In some circumstances, blockages can be surgically corrected to prevent complications.

Evaluation and treatment of hypertension (high blood pressure) associated with kidney disorders may be appropriate in some people with stroke secondary to FMD.

Expectations (prognosis) Return to top

The outcome from any stroke depends on the initial severity and ability to treat it quickly. Although FMD is associated with an increased risk of stroke and other complications, many patients can do well with optimal mangement and close attention to any secondary complications. As with other types of stroke, strokes from FMD can result in death, severe disability, or complete recovery.

Complications Return to top

See stroke.

Calling your health care provider Return to top

Go to the emergency room or call 911 if symptoms occur.

Prevention Return to top

Awareness of personal or family history of FMD can allow earlier diagnosis of the cause of stroke and can avoid damage caused by inappropriate treatment.

Update Date: 8/10/2004

Updated by: Joseph V. Campellone, M.D., Division of Neurology, Cooper University Hospital, Camden, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 2002 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.