ArticlePDF Available

Occlusion de l’artère de Percheron révélant un vasculo-Behçet

Authors:
Lettre
a
`l’e
´diteur
Occlusion
de
l’arte
`re
de
Percheron
re
´ve
´lant
un
vasculo-Behc¸et
Occlusion
of
the
artery
of
Percheron
revealing
a
vasculo-Behc¸et
1.
Observation
(n
o
62/11)
Le
patient
A.H.,
aˆge
´de
53
ans,
enseignant,
fu
ˆt
admis
pour
une
lourdeur
du
membre
supe
´rieur
gauche
d’installation
brutale.
Dans
ses
ante
´ce
´dents,
on
notait
une
aphtose
bipolaire
re
´cidivante
a
`raison
de
trois
aphtes
par
mois
et
des
troubles
de
la
me
´moire
avec
somnolence
remontant
a
`quatre
ans.
L’examen
a
`l’admission
trouvait
un
patient
somnolent,
avec
une
monopare
´sie
gauche,
une
dysarthrie
et
des
troubles
de
la
me
´moire
a
`type
d’amne
´sie
ante
´ro-
et
re
´trograde.
Le
Mini
Mental
State
e
´tait
a
`12/30.
Le
test
pathergique
e
´tait
positif.
L’examen
ophtalmologique
a
mis
en
e
´vidence
une
uve
´ite
poste
´rieure.
Le
scanner
ce
´re
´bral
objectivait
une
hypodensite
´
parame
´diane
bilate
´rale
et
syme
´trique
du
thalamus.
L’imagerie
par
re
´sonance
magne
´tique
(IRM)
ce
´re
´brale
avec
se
´quences
de
diffusion
a
montre
´des
hypersignaux
thalamiques
bilate
´raux
et
a
`la
jonction
dience
´phalo-me
´sencephalique
faisant
e
´voquer
un
infarctus
de
l’arte
`re
de
percheron
(Fig.
1).
Il
n’y
avait
pas
de
thrombose
veineuse
ce
´re
´brale
ni
d’atteinte
du
syste
`me
verte
´bro-basilaire
a
`l’angio-IRM.
L’e
´chographie
des
troncs
supra-aortiques
avait
montre
´un
thrombus
carotidien
interne
droit.
Le
reste
du
bilan
e
´tiologique
de
cet
infarctus
e
´tait
ne
´gatif.
Le
diagnostic
de
vasculo-Behc¸et
a
e
´te
´retenu
sur
la
base
des
crite
`res
du
groupe
d’e
´tude
international
pour
la
maladie
de
Behc¸et
(International
Study
Group
for
Behc¸et’s
Disease,
1990).
Notre
patient
a
e
´te
´mis
sous
anticoagulants.
Apre
`s
deux
ans,
l’e
´volution
clinique
a
e
´te
´marque
´e
par
la
re
´gression
totale
des
troubles
mne
´siques
et
de
la
somnolence.
2.
Discussion
L’arte
`re
de
Percheron
est
une
petite
arte
`re
perforante
qui
vascularise
le
thalamus
parame
´dian
et
le
me
´sence
´phale.
L’infarctus
de
l’arte
`re
de
percheron
est
rare
et
repre
´sente
0,1
a
`
2
%
de
tous
les
accidents
vasculaires
ce
´re
´braux
ische
´miques,
et
4
a
`18
%
des
infarctus
thalamiques
(Jimenez
Caballero,
2010).
L’e
´tiologie
la
plus
fre
´quente
de
l’infarctus
de
l’arte
`re
de
percheron
est
cardioembolique
(Krampla
et
al.,
2008).
L’atteinte
arte
´rielle
est
plus
rare
dans
la
MB
(2,7
%
a
`7
%
selon
les
se
´ries)
mais
plus
grave
que
l’atteinte
veineuse
(30
%
des
cas)
(Kallel
et
al.,
2010).
Dans
notre
observation,
nous
rapportons
un
infarctus
de
l’arte
`re
de
percheron
re
´ve
´lant
un
vasculo-Behc¸et.
Cette
association
n’a
jamais
e
´te
´de
´crite
a
`
notre
connaissance.
Les
signes
les
plus
rencontre
´s
dans
r
e
v
u
e
n
e
u
r
o
l
o
g
i
q
u
e
x
x
x
(
2
0
1
3
)
x
x
x
x
x
x
Fig.
1
IRM
ence
´phalique
de
diffusion
montrant
des
hypersignaux
thalamiques
bilate
´raux
parame
´dians
et
de
la
jonction
dience
´phalo-me
´sence
´phalique
en
rapport
avec
un
infarctus
de
l’arte
`re
de
Percheron.
NEUROL-1172;
No.
of
Pages
2
Pour
citer
cet
article
:
M.
Albakaye
et
al.Occlusion
de
l’arte
`re
de
Percheron
re
´ve
´lant
un
vasculo-Behc¸ et,
Revue
neurologique
(2013),
http://
dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neurol.2013.02.012
Disponible
en
ligne
sur
ScienceDirect
www.sciencedirect.com
l’infarctus
de
l’arte
`re
de
percheron
sont
des
troubles
cognitifs
et
les
troubles
oculomoteurs,
en
rapport
avec
une
atteinte
du
me
´sence
´phale.
Les
troubles
de
la
conscience
et
l’hypersomnie
sont
retrouve
´s
respectivement
dans
47
%
et
29
%
(Jimenez
Caballero,
2010).
Dans
notre
observation,
les
symptoˆ
mes
e
´taient
domine
´s
par
les
troubles
de
la
me
´moire
et
l’hypersomnolence
ayant
oblige
´le
patient
a
abandonne
´sa
profession
d’enseignant.
La
somnolence
et
l’amne
´sie
ont
e
´te
´rapporte
´es
dans
la
litte
´rature.
L’atteinte
du
noyau
dorsome
´dian
et
de
la
lame
me
´dullaire
interne
du
thalamus
peut
entraı
ˆner
des
somnolences
avec
des
troubles
mne
´siques
identiques
a
`ceux
rencontre
´s
dans
le
syndrome
de
Korsakoff.
(Lie,
1992).
La
complexite
´et
la
diversite
´de
la
pre
´sentation
clinique
de
l’infarctus
de
l’arte
`re
de
Percheron
expliquent
la
difficulte
´de
porter
le
diagnostic
sur
les
seules
donne
´es
de
l’examen
physique.
L’IRM
ce
´re
´brale
avec
se
´quences
de
diffusion
permettent
de
redresser
le
diagnostic.
De
´claration
d’inte
´re
ˆts
Les
auteurs
de
´clarent
ne
pas
avoir
de
conflits
d’inte
´reˆts
en
relation
avec
cet
article.
r
e
´f
e
´r
e
n
c
e
s
International
Study
Group
for
Behc¸ et’s
Disease.
Criteria
for
diagnosis
of
Behc¸ et’s
disease.
Lancet
1990;335:1078–80.
Jimenez
Caballero
PE.
Bilateral
paramedian
thalamic
artery
infarcts:
report
of
10
cases.
J
Stroke
Cerebrovasc
Dis
2010;19:283–9.
Kallel
A,
Miladi
MI,
Marzouk
S,
Feki
I,
Bahloul
Z,
Mhiri
C.
Multiple
arterial
thrombosis
in
Behc¸ et’s
disease.
Rev
Med
Interne
2010;31(6):1–4.
Krampla
W,
Schmidbauer
B,
Hruby
W.
Ischaemic
stroke
of
the
artery
of
Percheron.
Eur
Radiol
2008;18:192–4.
Lie
JT.
Vascular
involvement
in
Behcet’s
disease:
arterial
and
venous
and
vessels
of
all
sizes.
J
Rheumatol
1992;
19:341–3.
M.
Albakaye *
N.
Adali
L.
Nissrine
N.
Kissani
Department
of
neurology,
hospital
Ibn
Tofail,
CHU
Mohammed
VI,
PO
Box
7010,
40000
Marrakech,
Maroc
*Auteur
correspondant.
Adresse
e-mail
:
mohamedalbakaye@yahoo.fr
(M.
Albakaye)
Rec¸u
le
18
de
´cembre
2012
Rec¸u
sous
la
forme
re
´vise
´e
le
28
fe
´vrier
2013
Accepte
´le
28
fe
´vrier
2013
0035-3787/$
see
front
matter
#
2013
Elsevier
Masson
SAS.
Tous
droits
re
´serve
´s.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neurol.2013.02.012
r
e
v
u
e
n
e
u
r
o
l
o
g
i
q
u
e
x
x
x
(
2
0
1
3
)
x
x
x
x
x
x2
NEUROL-1172;
No.
of
Pages
2
Pour
citer
cet
article
:
M.
Albakaye
et
al.Occlusion
de
l’arte
`re
de
Percheron
re
´ve
´lant
un
vasculo-Behc¸ et,
Revue
neurologique
(2013),
http://
dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neurol.2013.02.012
Article
Objectives The Percheron artery (PA) is a rare variant vessel. Its acute occlusion can cause a bilateral symmetrical thalamic stroke, clinically manifested as a sudden alteration of consciousness that could vary from sleepiness to coma. In this paper, we illustrate a case of acute PA occlusion in a young, pregnant woman and present a review of the literature, focusing on the possible causes of the acute occlusion. Methods A 35-year-old woman, at the fourth week of pregnancy, came to the emergency department of our hospital because of a sudden onset and persistent loss of consciousness. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a symmetrical and bilateral thalamic infarction without evidence of other ischemic lesions, compatible with an acute PA occlusion. Results The patient, who showed full clinical recovery within a few hours of symptom onset, received a short-term anticoagulant treatment followed by aspirin for long-term prevention. Conclusions We reviewed the literature about the possible causes of acute PA occlusion. This ischemic condition is usually associated with cardioembolic or small-vessel disease. However, in our patient, we did not find any element supportive for coagulative alteration or embolyzing conditions. Practice The presence of this type of thalamic stroke should be considered in the management of persistent loss of consciousness. PA occlusion is rare, but it needs a brain MRI examination for a correct diagnosis, a narrow evaluation of all the possible causes, and a long-term anticoagulant therapy. Pregnancy itself should constitute a rare but possible cause of a PA occlusion.
Article
Full-text available
Alterations in blink reflex excitability may occur in the contralateral side (CLS) and in the symptomatic side after peripheral facial palsy (PFP). In this study, the alterations of blink reflex in CLS were evaluated in cases with PFP who showed "three different types" of recovery. For this purpose, the R2 response area and recovery curve of the blink reflex were evaluated. The study included 51 patients suffering from PFP and 20 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Cases with PFP were divided into three groups: patients with PFP with partially cured and accompanied by synkinesis (postfacial syndrome), patients with PFP with residual weakness, and patients who suffered from recurrent PFP. All three groups' R2 values of CLS were compared with the values of controls and patients who had synkinesis. The CLS of all three groups' R2 area values were found to be significantly higher when compared with controls. These values were found to be highest in patients who suffered from recurrent PFP. Hyperexcitability occurs in CLS after PFP and this is highest in patients who suffer from recurrent PFP. It suggested that the contralateral reorganization caused by peripheral nerve damage correlates with the severity of the lesion and the recurrence of axon damage enhances the excitability of the reflex cycle, which affects the contralateral facial nucleus.
Article
Full-text available
Previous studies have shown that clinical localization of trigeminal nerve lesions is inaccurate as compared with MR imaging findings. The purpose of our study was to ascertain the added value of electromyographic (EMG) investigation of the trigeminal nerve reflexes for the improvement of lesion localization and for the preselection of patients for MR imaging. We reviewed the EMG studies of the trigeminal reflexes and the MR imaging studies of 20 patients with unilateral symptoms and signs related to the trigeminal nerve (40 trigeminal nerves examined). The results of the two studies were compared to assess the value of EMG in predicting MR imaging outcome. Lesion localization as demonstrated by EMG was compared with localization at MR imaging. MR imaging was used as the standard of reference. Eight (40%) of 20 patients had MR imaging findings related to presenting trigeminal symptoms, including five brain stem lesions and three peripheral lesions. Fourteen (70%) of 20 patients had EMG abnormalities related to presenting symptoms and signs. For brain stem lesions, lesion localization as shown by EMG corresponded well with MR imaging findings. EMG yielded a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 81%, a positive predictive value of 57%, and a negative predictive value of 100% in predicting MR imaging results. Interobserver agreement was good for both the EMG reflex and MR imaging examinations. Our data suggest that EMG recordings of the trigeminal reflexes can be used to exclude structural lesions in patients with symptoms related to the trigeminal nerve. When a lesion is localized in the brain stem with EMG, a tailored MR imaging examination of this region may be sufficient.
Article
The paramedian thalamic arteries can arise as a pair from each P1 of the posterior cerebral artery, but they may also arise equally from a common trunk off one P1, thus supplying thalamus bilaterally. Such a common trunk is called the artery of Percheron and supplies the mesial aspects of both thalami and the rostral midbrain. This is a retrospective review of 1,253 consecutive patients with ischemic stroke enrolled in a stroke registry within an 8-year period (January 2001-December 2008). All were evaluated with detailed clinical and neuropsychological evaluation, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), blood studies, electrocardiogram, and transthoracic echocardiography. All standard risk factors were recorded in these patients. Ten patients (0.7%) in this series presented with a first-ever thalamic stroke demonstrating bilateral paramedian thalamic lesions on MRI. The main cause of bilateral paramedian thalamic infarctions was small artery disease (60%), followed by cardioembolism (40%). A well-defined clinical picture is shown in bilateral paramedian thalamic artery infarcts. These patients had disorder's consisting of consciousness, memory dysfunctions, various types of vertical gaze paresis, and psychological changes. Although neurologic deficits and hypersomnia recovered to large extent in patients with paramedian thalamic infarcts, cognitive deficits that were mainly linked with bilateral and left-sided lesions often persisted. Vertical gaze paresis tended to improve and never seriously disturbed the patient's activities. We believe that these kinds of strokes have been commonly overlooked, especially without widespread use of MRI.
Article
Behcet's disease (BD) is a multisystemic vasculitis. Its etiopathogeny remains unknown. Vascular involvement in BD is frequent and venous thrombosis is the most common manifestation (30% of cases). Arterial involvement is rare (2.7 to 7%). The latter is often severe and considered as a life threatening complication. Pathogenesis of thrombosis occurring in BD remains unclear. We report a 45-year-old man, from south of Tunisia, who presented a BD with a bifocal arterial involvement: right internal carotid thrombosis and bilateral proximal thrombosis of the two pulmonary arteries. Therapeutic strategies to address this multiple arterial involvement and the pathogenesis of thrombosis raise many questions. Copyright 2010 Société nationale française de médecine interne (SNFMI). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.
Article
Acute unilateral facial paralysis is usually a benign neurological condition that resolves in a few weeks. However, it can also be the source of a transient or long-lasting severe motor dysfunction, featuring disorders of automatic and voluntary movement. This review is organized according to the two most easily recognizable phases in the evolution of facial paralysis: (1). Just after presentation of facial palsy, patients may exhibit an increase in their spontaneous blinking rate as well as a sustained low-level contraction of the muscles of the nonparalyzed side, occasionally leading to blepharospasm-like muscle activity. This finding may be due to an increase in the excitability of facial motoneurons and brainstem interneurons mediating trigeminofacial reflexes. (2). If axonal damage has occurred, axonal regeneration beginning at approximately 3 months after the lesion leads inevitably to clinically evident or subclinical hyperactivity of the previously paralyzed hemifacial muscles. The full-blown postparalytic facial syndrome consists of synkinesis, myokymia, and unwanted hemifacial mass contractions accompanying normal facial movements. The syndrome has probably multiple pathophysiological mechanisms, including abnormal axonal branching after aberrant axonal regeneration and enhanced facial motoneuronal excitability. Although the syndrome is relieved with local injections of botulinum toxin, fear of such uncomfortable contractions may lead the patients to avoid certain facial movements, with the implications that this behavior might have on their emotional expressions.
Alexandre-Fleming, 25030 Besanç cedex, France A. Comte Functional Imaging Research Department
  • L Bonnet
L. Bonnet* E. Magnin Department of Neurology, J. Minjoz University Hospital, 3, boulevard Alexandre-Fleming, 25030 Besanç cedex, France A. Comte Functional Imaging Research Department, J. Minjoz University Hospital, 3, boulevard Alexandre-Fleming, 25030 Besanç cedex, France L. Rumbach Department of Neurology, J. Minjoz University Hospital, 3, boulevard Alexandre-Fleming, 25030 Besanç cedex, 2010;19:283–9.
International Study Group for Behç et's Disease. Criteria for diagnosis of Behç et's disease
International Study Group for Behç et's Disease. Criteria for diagnosis of Behç et's disease. Lancet 1990;335:1078-80.
Tous droits ré servé s
  • Elsevier Masson
Elsevier Masson SAS. Tous droits ré servé s. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neurol.2013.02.012