A Case of Sporadic Cerebral Small Vessel Disease in an Identical Twin

Hilde van den Brink; Nick A Weaver; Geert Jan Biessels

doi:10.1159/000511027

A Case of Sporadic Cerebral Small Vessel Disease in an Identical Twin

Case Rep Neurol. 2020 Nov 10;12(3):416-421. doi: 10.1159/000511027. eCollection 2020 Sep-Dec.

Authors

Hilde van den Brink¹, Nick A Weaver¹, Geert Jan Biessels¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Abstract

Sporadic cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) is primarily attributed to heritability and vascular risk factors. Still, our understanding of the causative factors in cSVD lesion burden in the brain is far from complete. This is exemplified by this case of identical twins with remarkably similar vascular risk profiles, where one twin had developed severe cSVD on neuroimaging with cognitive deficits, while the other twin had no cSVD. This case highlights the need to search for further causes of cSVD, also beyond genetic and conventional vascular risk factors. Identification of other potential risk factors or disease mechanisms should be a priority for cSVD research to improve our understanding, prevention and treatment of this common cause of vascular brain injury with major clinical consequences.

Keywords: Cognitive dysfunction; Identical twin; MRI; Small vessel disease.

Publication types

Case Reports