Chinese expert consensus on the treatment of MMD

Abstract

Moyamoya disease (MMD), also known as spontaneous occlusion of the circle of Willis, is defined by progressive stenosis or occlusion of the internal carotid arteries, and it can progress to the anterior, middle, and posterior cerebral arteries. As these arteries are gradually stenosed, a collateral network of capillaries develops at the base of the brain, producing the characteristic reticulate appearance (“puff of smoke”) on angiography. Therefore, it was named by Suzuki and Takaku in 1969 after the Japanese term “moyamoya” (Suzuki and Takaku, Arch Neurol 20:288–299, 1969). MMD is most common in East Asian countries such as Japan and Korea, and it shows a slight female predominance. MMD is mainly characterized by ischemia and hemorrhage. Hemorrhagic MMD is very rare in children, and most cases occur in adults due to the rupture of the compensatory blood vessels, which often leads to hemorrhagic symptoms (Scott and Smith, N Engl J Med 360:1226–1237, 2009). In recent years, the diagnosis rate has increased with the popularization of imaging techniques. However, the pathogenesis of MMD is still not completely understood, and there is currently no evidence to suggest that drug treatment can delay or even reverse the progression of MMD. The current drug treatment for in MMD only targets its clinical symptoms, including ischemia and hemorrhage. The main choice of treatment for MMD is surgical revascularization. As an increasing number of hospitals have developed surgical treatment for MMD, our compiling group has jointly discussed the formulation of a consensus among Chinese experts on the treatment of MMD.