Combined medical therapy and neurosurgical revascularization preventing stroke in post-varicella angiopathy: Case report and review of literature

Abstract

Background: Post varicella angiopathy (PVA) is an underdiagnosed but potentially severe disease in both pediatric and adult settings. No guidelines are available for the medical and neurosurgical management of this condition. We report the first pediatric case with headache and PVA who was treated with surgical revascularization before the onset of ischemic events.

Methods: This case report was conducted via retrospective chart review. A literature review was also completed, in order to identify previously described PVA undergone to revascularization.

Results: We report on a 9-year-old boy presenting with a long history of headache and PVA involving the distal left middle cerebral artery. The arterial lesion rapidly worsened over a 10 months' period with formation of focal moyamoya-like collaterals, despite an adequate intravenous antiviral treatment. The pattern of headaches significantly changed with a clear left-side lateralization and a "re-build-up" phenomenon on EEG. The patient was treated with left superficial temporal artery - middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) bypass and encephalo-duro-arterio-myo-pericranial-synangiosis. This combined treatment resulted in an immediate and persistent improvement of brain perfusion, accompanied by prompt resolution of neurological symptoms. Two cases who presented with Suzuki stage III (unilateral or bilateral) moyamoya PVA and recurrent strokes or transient ischemic attacks despite adequate pharmacological prophylaxis have been surgically treated using both indirect and direct revascularization technique. The outcome was good in both cases.

Conclusion: Surgical revascularization may have a role in the treatment of PVA and may prevent stroke. Given the lack of standardized treatment algorithms, individualized regimens should be formulated on a case-specific basis.

Keywords: Antiviral treatment; Focal cerebral arteriopathy; Pediatric stroke; Post varicella angiopathy; Revascularization.