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Middle cerebral artery occlusion 25 years after cranial radiation therapy in acromegaly: a case report

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Abstract

We report a case of ischemic stroke in a 43 year-old woman with no traditional cardiovascular risk factors and a history of cranial surgery and cranial radiation therapy (CRT) for a GH-secreting pituitary macroadenoma. The neurological work-up on this patient disclosed several cerebral ischemic lesions and demonstrated the occlusion of the right middle cerebral artery together with the narrowing of the right carotid artery; post-radiation brain damage was also visible by nuclear magnetic resonance. We postulate the existence in this patient of a radiation-induced vascular damage, which is a well recognized process thoroughly described in in vitro studies. We remark that life-long follow-up of acromegalic patients receiving CRT is essential so that early diagnosis of radiation-induced vascular injury can be made.

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Correspondence to P. Maffei.

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Maffei, P., Albano, I., Martini, C. et al. Middle cerebral artery occlusion 25 years after cranial radiation therapy in acromegaly: a case report. J Thromb Thrombolysis 28, 358–361 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11239-008-0302-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11239-008-0302-2

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