Spontaneous extracranial arterial dissections in a case of patient with osteogenesis imperfecta

Abstract

Background: Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), also known as brittle bone disease, is an inherited disease characterized by increased bone brittleness and decreased bone mass. OI patients may also be associated with exoskeleton manifestations such as hearing loss, articular ligament laxity, and heart valve lesions. Reports of internal carotid and cerebral artery dissection related to OI patients are very rare. We present the first case of acute cerebral infarction caused by the progressive stripping of the carotid artery dissection Chinese patient with Osteogenesis imperfecta.

Case: A 48-year-old Chinese male who had no prior medical history or bad habits was to admitted the hospital due to leftside temporal headache, paroxysmal right limb weakness, and prolonged blurred vision experienced for a week. After a series of tests were performed to exclude superficial temporal arteritis, the patient was diagnosed with transient ischemic attack and was given aspirin, clopidogrel and atorvastatin without further headache and blurred vision. However, he was again admitted to the emergency department the following day due to right limb weakness for 7 h that was considered acute cerebral infarction caused by left carotid artery dissection.

Conclusion: The findings in this case support that internal carotid and cerebral artery dissection may be one of the complications of Osteogenesis imperfecta.

Keywords:

• Osteogenesis imperfecta
• stroke
• cerebral infarction
• arterial dissections
• connective tissue disorders

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).