Amnesia Presenting Acute Multiple Subcortical Cerebral Infarctions in CADASIL

Abstract

Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is an adult-onset, autosomal dominantly inherited small-vessel disease of the brain caused by NOTCH3 mutations. It is characterized by migraine with aura, mood disorder, recurrent subcortical infarctions, and dementia. We report a patient presenting sudden amnesia due to acute multiple cerebral infarctions as the first manifestation of CADASIL. Acute multiple subcortical infarctions were rarely reported in CADASIL. Acute multifocal infarction in subcortical area of CADASIL might be the severe disease presentation of cerebral small vessel disease. So, it should be differentiated with cardiogenic or artery-to-artery embolic infarctions that usually involved both cortical and subcortical areas. Key words: Amnesia; CADASIL; Stroke