Mineralizing angiopathy: A cause of arterial ischemic stroke in early childhood after mild head trauma

Introduction

Mineralizing angiopathy of lenticulostriate arteries has been reported as etiology of acute arterial ischemic stroke of basal ganglia after minor head trauma, mostly in infants. Patients present with focal neurological deficit, commonly hemiparesis, minutes to hours after head trauma. Diagnostic clue is the finding of ischemic stroke of basal ganglia after minor head trauma together with basal ganglia calcifications.

Results

We present a 21-month-old infant with an acute right hemiparesis preceded by mild head trauma 8 h before. Neuroimaging studies showed an ischemic stroke of left basal ganglia together with bilateral basal ganglia calcifications. Other ancillary studies were normal. The patient received treatment with acetylsalicylic acid for antiplatelet therapy. Prognosis was excellent, he recovered the focal neurological deficit, and no recurrences nor neurological sequelae were found after a 6 year follow-up.

Conclusions

A high index of suspicion is necessary to identify mineralizing angiopathy of lenticulostriate arteries as etiology of an acute arterial ischemic stroke of basal ganglia after minor head trauma in early infancy. Stroke recurrence is possible.