Memory Impairment Due to a Small Acute Infarction of the Columns of the Fornix

Abstract

Background: Clinically infarction of the columns of the fornix is very rare. It is also easy to be overlooked during imaging examination due to the special anatomical localization and features of columns of the fornix. In the meantime, with memory disorder to be its most prominent manifestation, it is very easily false diagnosed as other diseases when the lesion focus is overlooked, causing unnecessary invasive examinations like cerebrospinal fluid tests.

Methods: Case report and Literature review.

Results: We presented a 66-year-old woman with memory impairment due to a small acute infarction of the columns of the fornix. Through her diagnosis and treatment, we believed that early diagnosis and treatment were important to these patients who were enduring the disease. In addition, literature review informed us that for those unwilling to undergo cerebral angiography or for small cerebrovascular lesions that cannot be detected by angiography, 7T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) might be an ideal diagnostic method.

Conclusion: This case illustrated the significance of MRI in diagnosis for patients with acute memory impairment. When reading MRI results, one needs to pay attention to identify small lesions at special locations. In addition, cerebral apoplexy is still the first consideration of diagnosis when acute memory impairment occurs in patients with cerebrovascular disease risk factors.

Keywords: Memory impairment; acute infarction; anterior communicating artery; columns of the fornix; subcallosal artery.