Anterior Choroidal Artery Infarction Research Articles

A Drive Interrupted: Stroke of the Anterior Choroidal Artery – A Case Report

The anterior choroidal artery (AChA) is the most distal branch of the internal carotid artery (ICA) The ACHA is significant because it supplies important structures in the brain, including the optic tract, anterior portion of cerebral peduncle, lateral geniculate body, uncus, globus pallidus, posterior and superficial areas of the thalamus, and the retrolenticular and posterior portions of the internal capsule on the same side as the artery. Isolated strokes involving the AChA are rare and can result in HHH Syndrome, consisting of contralateral hemiplegia, hemisensory loss, and homonymous hemianopia. Features which distinguish an AChA infarction from larger arterial pathology are lack of headache and lack of depressed level of consciousness in subacute infarction, and usually lack of aphasia acutely. The etiology remains controversial, with proposed mechanisms including cardioembolic, large-vessel atherosclerosis, dissection of the ICA, small-vessel occlusion, and cryptogenic causes. Herein, the authors report a case of an isolated AChA infarction resulting in a right-sided, pure motor hemiparesis with no sensory or vision loss, highly suggestive of cardioembolic origin, with the evaluation of the patient, and eventual treatment strategy.

Anterior Choroidal Artery Infarct: A Triathlon of Neurodeficits, not Triad.

Anterior Choroidal Artery Infarct: A Triathlon of Neurodeficits, not Triad.

Lexical-semantic Deficit without Semantic Impairment in a Patient with Left Anterior Choroidal Artery Infarction: Neural Correlates Based on Diffusion-tensor Tractography

A 35-year-old male presented with atypical aphasia following left anterior choroidal artery infarction associated with distal internal carotid artery dissection. He presented with 1) lexical-semantic deficit without semantic impairment, 2) frequent surface errors (both surface dyslexia and dysgraphia), and 3) intact non-word reading/repetition (preserved sub-lexical route), suggesting deficit in the phonological output lexicon. Diffusion-tensor tractography analysis revealed disruption in the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and inferior longitudinal fasciculus, which might serve as potential subcortical neural correlates for phonological output lexicon.

Infarction in the Anterior Choroidal Artery Territory: A Retrospective Study (P11-5.029)

<h3>Objective:</h3> The aim of our study is to explore the clinical features, possible mechanism and prognosis of AchA infarcts. <h3>Background:</h3> Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in the anterior choroidal artery (AChA) territory is commun in daily practice. But its clinical and evolutionary characteristics are not very obvious, hence the interest of our study. <h3>Design/Methods:</h3> A total of 33 AChA infarction patients were recruited in the study retrospectively from 2018 to 2021. Demographic and clinical characteristics were analyzed in all patients. <h3>Results:</h3> Among ischemic stroke, 33 of 408 patients (8.08%) were enrolled with isolated AChA infarct. Most of patients were male (78.8%). The mean age was 61 years. The most common risk factors were hypertension and diabetes, smoking followed by coronary arterial heart disease. Hemiparesis was the most common clinical manifestation (78.8%), followed by slurred speech/aphasia (63.5%), hemianesthesia (48.5%), hemianopia (9.1%) and finally ataxia (6.1%). Average NIHSS was 5.8. Only 3 patients (6.1%) received intravenous thrombolysis. 60% of patients were treated with double antiplatelet. mRankin score (mRS) was higher in patients treated with simple antiplatelet (p=0.04). The stroke etiology included large artery disease (36.4%), small vessel disease (27.3%), cardio-embolic (9.1%). Ischemic stroke is of undetermined cause in 27.2%. Among 33 AChA infarcts, 54.8% of patients got good prognosis (mRS score≤2). Prognosis of infarction of AChA stroke depend on etiology. Cardio-embolic mecanism had poor outcome (p=0.03). <h3>Conclusions:</h3> According to the results obtained in this study, and taking into account their limitations of the small sample, choroidal stroke has a good prognosis. But the interest of intravenous thrombolysis is not demonstrated yet, which requires a subsequent multicenter study. <b>Disclosure:</b> Ms. Abbes has nothing to disclose. Mariem Mhiri has nothing to disclose. Miss Saad has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ben Dhia has nothing to disclose. Dr. Gouta has nothing to disclose. Mouna Aissi has nothing to disclose. MAHBOUBA FRIH has nothing to disclose.

Aphasia with No Apparent Paralysis in Progressive Stroke of the Anterior Choroidal Artery.

Some anterior choroidal artery (AChA) infarctions in the posterior limbs of the internal capsule (plIC) have been reported to cause aphasia, typically with apparent paralysis. We herein report an 84-year-old woman with AChA infarction. Although her dysarthria remained mild with no apparent paralysis, we overlooked progression to branch atheromatous disease-related infarct with exacerbation of her anomia, which delayed the initiation of more intense therapy. Even in AChA infarction, especially when the lesion is located mainly in the anterior part of the plIC, as in our case, it is possible to encounter progressive stroke predominantly with aphasia.

Choroidal artery ischemic events after temporal lobe epilepsy surgery: clinical outcome, quality of life, and surgical pitfalls.

Ischemic events within the territory of the choroidal artery are an important cause of morbidity after temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) surgery. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the rate of these ischemic events, their clinical presentation, and impact on patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after TLE surgery. Four hundred twenty-two consecutive patients undergoing temporal resections for drug-resistant TLE were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent presurgical multidisciplinary assessment using a standard protocol comprising clinical, neuroradiological, neuropsychological, and EEG data. Postoperative complications with corresponding imaging, neurological deficits, and disease-specific HRQoL questionnaires were evaluated. The overall complication rate was 7.8% (n = 33). Fourteen patients (3.3%) suffered from ischemic events causing 6 permanent motor deficits, 3 with permanent aphasias, and 6 visual field defects that exceeded quadrantanopia. In 8 patients with anterior choroidal artery infarction, accounting for 57% of all ischemic events, infarction volume correlated positively with the occurrence of new permanent neurological deficits (8666 vs 1692 mm3, p = 0.032). Despite the occurrence of ischemic events, HRQoL improved in 71% of patients. However, infarction volume showed a negative correlation trend with HRQoL (Pearson's r = -0.390, p = 0.094). There was a trend toward increased risk for ischemic events in patients who underwent selective amygdalohippocampectomy compared to patients who underwent anterior temporal lobectomy or temporal lesionectomy (RR 0.96, 95% CI 0.93-0.99, p = 0.08). Choroidal artery infarctions are rare but relevant complications after TLE surgery, presenting with variable clinical courses ranging from devastating neurological deterioration to complete recovery. Despite the occurrence of postoperative infarction, most patients report improvement of HRQoL after TLE surgery. This study showed that the type of surgery appears to modulate the risk for these ischemic events.

Prognosis prediction of motor outcome in hemiparetic patients with anterior choroidal artery infarction: Radiologic and transcranial magnetic stimulation prognostic validation studies (STROBE).

To investigate prognosis prediction of motor outcome in anterior choroidal artery (AChA) infarction patients using radiologic and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) studies.Twenty six patients with complete weakness of the affected hand were recruited. The Motricity Index (MI), Medical Research Council (MRC) scores for the affected finger extensors, Modified Brunnstrom classification (MBC) and Functional Ambulation Category (FAC) were evaluated twice: at onset and the chronic stage (3–4 months after onset). Patients were assigned according to the presence of infarction at the corona radiata (CR); the CR-positive group (infarct presence at the CR and posterior limb of internal capsule [PLIC], 11 patients) and CR-negative group (infarct presence at the PLIC, 15 patients), and the presence of motor evoked potentials at the affected hand muscle: the TMS-positive group (11 patients) and the TMS-negative group (15 patients).At the second evaluation, the MI scores were significantly different between the CR-positive (45.10 ± 7.06) and CR-negative groups (57.90 ± 11.56), and between the TMS-positive (60.37 ± 11.53) and TMS-negative groups (46.70 ± 7.99) (P < .05). The MRC scores for the finger extensors were also significantly different between the CR-positive (0.95 ± 1.01) and CR-negative (2.57 ± 1.33) groups and between the TMS-positive (3.05 ± 0.88) and TMS-negative (1.03 ± 1.14) groups (P < .05). Fourteen (53.85%) of the 26 patients recovered to have a functional hand score (MBC ≥5) and 19 (73.07%) of the 26 patients recovered to have an independent gait score (FAC ≥3) on their second evaluation.The results show that CR involvement in addition to the presence of a PLIC lesion and a TMS-negative response were related to poor motor outcomes in patients with an AChA infarction. Consequently, radiologic and TMS studies can be considered for motor outcome prognosis prediction in patients with an AChA infarction.

Paracentral homonymous hemianopic scotoma caused by anterior choroidal artery infarction.

Paracentral homonymous hemianopic scotoma caused by anterior choroidal artery infarction.

Supraclinoid Internal Carotid Artery Aneurysm Clipping Complicated by Aneurysm Dome Origin of the Anterior Choroidal Artery: 2-Dimensional Operative Video.

Supraclinoid internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysms most commonly arise at the origin of the posterior communicating or anterior choroidal artery. The unique angioarchitecture presented in this case involved the anterior choroidal artery (AChA) originating from the dome of a supraclinoid ICA aneurysm. Treatment is associated with high morbidity because of the eloquent parenchyma perfused by the AChA. Therefore, the preservation of flow within the AChA during clipping is paramount. Anterior choroidal syndrome, comprising hemiplegia, hemianesthesia, and hemianopsia, conveys a significant morbidity. This syndrome is observed in the setting of AChA sacrifice and can be observed in a delayed manner after clipping. Anterior choroidal syndrome is of uncertain etiology but is associated with AChA infarction. This patient presented with tinnitus and was found to have an incidental supraclinoid ICA aneurysm with AChA originating from the aneurysmal dome. A right orbitozygomatic craniotomy was performed for a transsylvian approach to the aneurysm. A fenestrated clip was applied to occlude the aneurysmal portion of the ICA up to the point of AChA origin. A curved clip was then used to occlude the AChA segment of the aneurysm, providing patency to the AChA takeoff along the ICA. Patency of the AChA and ICA was confirmed with intraoperative angiography, and the patient had a favorable clinical outcome. This case exemplified an excellent surgical clipping of a challenging supraclinoid ICA aneurysm involving the need to preserve a vessel off the aneurysm dome. The patient gave informed consent for surgery and video recording. Institutional review board approval was deemed unnecessary. Used with permission from Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona.

Acute Anterior Choroidal Artery Territory Infarction: A Retrospective Study

ObjectivesTo explore the clinical features, risk factors, etiopathogenesis, mechanism of progression, effect of intravenous thrombolysis therapy (IVT) and prognosis of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in the anterior choroidal artery (AChA) territory. Patients and methodsA total of 113 AChA infarction patients were enrolled in the current study retrospectively. The demographic and clinical characteristics were collected and analyzed in all patients. The clinical characteristics were compared between clinical progression and no clinical progression groups, good and poor outcome groups, as well as with and without intravenous rt-PA groups. ResultsHemiparesis was the most common clinical manifestation (92.9%), followed by dyslexia (54.9%), hemianesthesia (43.4%) and other syndromes. Forty-nine patients (43.4%) suffered from clinical progression and showed a higher rate with multiple risk factors together than patients without clinical progression (30.6% vs.14.1%, P = 0.039). Moreover, more patients with progression were found with carotid plaques (73.5% vs. 51.6%, P = 0.018) or carotid artery stenosis (18.4% vs. 6.3%, P = 0.045) than patients without progression. 69.9% of patients got good prognosis at 6-months. In good prognosis group, the proportion of patients with atrial fibrillation, clinical progression and large infarct size were significantly lower than in poor prognosis group (1.3% vs. 11.8%, P = 0.047; 23.9% vs. 67.6%, P = 0.001; 15.2% vs. 38.2%, P = 0.007). No significant difference was found on rate of clinical progression and good prognosis between patients with and without IVT. ConclusionMotor deficits are the most frequent and typical symptoms in AChA infarcts. Although small artery disease was considered to be the important etiopathogenesis of the AChA infarcts, large vascular disease may be associated with clinical progression in AChA infarcts. Additionally, prognosis of AChA infarcts is correlated with clinical progression, infarct size and atrial fibrillation. IVT does not seem to prevent the clinical progression and improve prognosis of AChA infarcts.

Pretreatment Anterior Choroidal Artery Infarction Predicts Poor Outcome after Thrombectomy in Intracranial ICA Occlusion.

Predictors of outcome after endovascular thrombectomy have not been investigated adequately in patients with intracranial ICA occlusions. This study aimed to assess the impact of anterior choroidal artery infarction in pretreatment DWI on the outcome of patients with acute intracranial ICA occlusion who underwent thrombectomy. This study included 113 patients with acute intracranial ICA occlusion who underwent DWI followed by thrombectomy between January 2011 and July 2016. Characteristics and outcomes were compared between the groups positive and negative for anterior choroidal artery infarction and patients with good outcomes (90-day mRS 0-2) and poor outcomes (mRS 3-6). Binary logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of a good outcome. On pretreatment DWI, anterior choroidal artery infarction was observed in 60 patients (53.1%). Good outcomes were significantly less frequent in the group positive for anterior choroidal artery infarction than in the group negative for it (25% versus 49.1%, P = .008). Parenchymal hemorrhage occurred only in the group positive for anterior choroidal artery infarction (13.3% versus 0%, P = .007). In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, independent predictors of good outcome were an absence of anterior choroidal artery infarction (OR, 0.333; 95% CI, 0.135-0.824; P = .017) and successful reperfusion (OR, 5.598; 95% CI, 1.135-27.604; P = .034). Pretreatment anterior choroidal artery infarction is associated with parenchymal hemorrhage and poor outcome after thrombectomy in patients with acute intracranial ICA occlusion. In addition, the absence of anterior choroidal artery infarction and successful reperfusion were independent predictors of good outcome after thrombectomy in acute intracranial ICA occlusion.

Imaging of Brain Infarctions: Beyond the Usual Territories.

In this review, our intension is to present imaging features of several categories of uncommon cases of brain infarctions including infarctions associated with neurovascular variants, infarctions along small arterial territories, and brainstem stroke syndromes. Infarctions associated with neurovascular variants include azygos anterior cerebral artery territory infarction and artery of Percheron infarction. In the second group, we discuss anterior choroidal artery infarction and artery of Heubner infarction. The third group highlights brainstem stroke syndromes, including Claude and Benedikt syndromes due to midbrain infarction; Foville, Marie Foix, and locked-in syndromes due to pontine infarction; and Dejerine (medial medullary), bilateral medial medullary, and Wallenberg (lateral medullary) syndromes.

Anterior Choroidal Artery Infarction with No Abnormalities of Motor Evoked Potentials During Cerebral Aneurysm Surgery -A Case Report-

Anterior Choroidal Artery Infarction with No Abnormalities of Motor Evoked Potentials During Cerebral Aneurysm Surgery -A Case Report-

Structural connectivity in spatial attention network: reconstruction from left hemispatial neglect.

Left hemispatial neglect (neglect) is an impaired state of spatial attention. We aimed to reconstruct structural connectivity in the spatial attention network and to identify disconnection patterns underlying neglect. We enrolled 59 right-handed patients who had their first-ever infarction in the right hemisphere and classified them into neglect group (34 patients with neglect) and control group (25 patients without neglect). The neglect group was further subcategorized into 6 subgroups based on infarcted vascular territories. Diffusion tensor imaging data were obtained from all patients. Fractional anisotropy maps were compared between neglect group/subgroups and the control group by using non-parametric voxel-based analysis, generating a lesion path mask. Probabilistic tractography analysis using the lesion path mask reconstructed the following structural connectivity in the spatial attention network, which is specifically damaged in neglect patients: (1) superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) I connecting the superior parietal lobule/intraparietal sulcus with the superior frontal gyrus/frontal eye field (SFG/FEF) (dorsal attention network); (2) SLF III/the arcuate fasciculus (AF) and the extreme capsule/inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF) connecting the right inferior parietal lobule/temporoparietal junction/superior temporal gyrus (IPL/TPJ/STG) with the middle frontal gyrus/inferior frontal gyrus (ventral attention network); (3) the thalamic radiations to the spatial attention-related cortices; and (4) SLF II and IFOF interconnecting dorsal and ventral attention networks. Individual analysis indicated that isolated damage in SLF I, SLF II, SLF III/AF or the thalamic radiations to IPL/TPJ/STG due to posterior cerebral artery infarction, or simultaneous damage in four thalamic radiations due to anterior choroidal artery infarction, underlies different phenotypes of neglect.

Usefulness of Suction Decompression Method Combined with Extradural Temporopolar Approach During Clipping of Complicated Internal Carotid Artery Aneurysm

Surgical clipping of complicated internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysms can be very difficult because strong adhesion may hinder dissection of the perforators and surrounding anatomical structures from the aneurysm dome. We describe our experience in the clipping of these aneurysms using retrograde suction decompression (RSD) combined with extradural temporopolar approach (ETA) and discuss its advantages and pitfalls. This retrospective study included 30 consecutive patients with complicated ICA aneurysms treated by direct clipping with RSD assistance between March 2004 and March2015. The aneurysms were located on the paraclinoid ICA in 20 cases, the posterior communicating artery bifurcation in 8, ICA bifurcation in 1, and the anterior wall of the ICA in 1. No patient suffered any complication related to the puncture of the common carotid artery. Surgical outcome was good recovery in 20 patients, moderate disability in 4, severe disability in 4, and vegetative state in 1. One patient died of re-rupture of the aneurysm caused by incomplete dome clipping. Two patients suffered cerebral infarction, caused by anterior choroidal artery infarction in 1 patient. Retrograde suction decompression combined with ETA is a useful technique for clipping of complicated ICA aneurysms.

Prominent Cognitive Dysfunction without Motor Impairment Following Anterior Choroidal Artery Infarction: a Case Report

Prominent Cognitive Dysfunction without Motor Impairment Following Anterior Choroidal Artery Infarction: a Case Report

Ischemic complications of anterior choroidal artery aneurysm treatment

Ischemic stroke of the anterior choroidal artery(AChA)is the most common and serious complication after AChA aneurysm treatment. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively evaluate and compare the treatment-related ischemic complications after surgical clipping and endovascular coiling of AChA aneurysms.<br/> Between June 2006 and March 2013, 32 patients with 34 AChA aneurysms were treated in our hospital by surgical clipping or endovascular coiling. There were 12 cases of ruptured aneurysms, seven cases of unruptured aneurysms, and 15 cases of incidentally identified unruptured aneurysms. Of the 34 aneurysms, 19 were managed with surgical clipping and 15 were managed with endovascular coiling. No rebleeding or retreatment occurred in any case during 4-84 months(median, 25 months)of follow-up, and no significant differences in clinical outcome were seen between clipping and coiling cases. Although there were four cases(11.8%;surgical clipping in three;endovascular coiling in one)of postoperative AChA infarction, we believe that we preserved the blood flow of the AChA during the procedure. The occurrence of subarachnoid hemorrhage and premature rupture during surgical clipping were significantly correlated with AChA infarction.

Thrombolytic Therapy Is an Only Determinant Factor for Stroke Evolution in Large Anterior Choroidal Artery Infarcts

Large anterior choroidal artery (AChA) infarcts are frequently associated with stroke evolution. This study aimed to investigate the major determinants for stroke evolution in patients with large AChA infarcts. We studied 118 consecutive adult patients with acute large AChA infarcts. The diagnosis was confirmed as abnormal hyperintensities in 3 or more rostracaudal magnetic resonance imaging slices (5mm thickness) using diffusion-weighted imaging within typical AChA vascular regions. Stroke evolution was defined as neurologic deterioration with an increase in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score by at least 4 or an increase of NIHSS score in motor function by at least 2 in 7 days after stroke onset. Forty-seven (39.8%) patients developed stroke evolution. Thrombolytic therapy was inversely associated with the occurrence of stroke evolution (P=.004). Using multivariate analysis, thrombolytic therapy was the only protective determinant for stroke evolution (adjusted odds ratio, .08; 95% confidence interval, .01 to .67). Patients with large AChA infarcts receiving thrombolytic therapy had less unfavorable long-term functional outcome than those not receiving thrombolytic therapy (adjusted odds ratio, .11; 95% confidence interval, .02-.75). Thrombolytic therapy is an only determinant factor for stroke evolution in large AChA infarcts, which reduced the risk of stroke evolution and improved functional outcome.

Anterior Choroidal Artery Territory Infarction: Lesions Confined to versus beyond the Internal Capsule

Background: Studies investigating the clinical features and stroke mechanisms of anterior choroidal artery (AchA) infarction have reported inconsistent results. This may be partly due to different degrees of inclusion of patients with isolated posterior limb of the internal capsule (PLIC) lesions, which may be supplied by lenticulostriate arteries rather than AchA. The purpose of this study was to investigate clinical features and stroke mechanisms of AchA infarction, with particular attention to the above problem. Methods: We evaluated patients with AchA infarction assessed with diffusion-weighted imaging and magnetic resonance angiography, who were admitted to the Asan Medical Center from July 2001 to April 2011. Probable AchA (pAchA) infarction was diagnosed when the lesions were confined to the lower part of the PLIC, while definite AchA (dAchA) infarction was diagnosed when the lateral geniculate body, the uncus, or the cerebral peduncle were concomitantly involved. We assessed imaging findings, stroke mechanisms, and clinical features, and investigated the differences between patients with dAchA infarction and those with pAchA infarction. Results: We identified 127 patients with AchA infarction: 34 with dAchA infarctions, 90 with pAchA infarctions, and 3 without PLIC lesions. The most important stroke mechanism was small artery disease (SAD), followed by large artery disease (LAD). In patients with LAD, distal internal carotid artery (ICA) disease was a relatively important cause of stroke. The dAchA group, as compared with the pAchA group, was more frequently related to cardioembolism (12 vs. 2%, p = 0.03), distal ICA steno-occlusion (35 vs. 2%, p = 0.001), severe neurologic deficits (higher National Institute of Health Stroke Scale scores and more severe limb weakness), and less often associated with SAD (56 vs. 78%, p = 0.02). Conclusion: In general, SAD was the most important stroke mechanism for AchA infarction followed by LAD. However, dAchA infarction and pAchA infarction differ in that the former was more often associated with cardioembolism, distal ICA steno-occlusion, a worse clinical status and less often associated with SAD than the latter. The different proportion of patients with pure PLIC lesions included in previous studies may have led to inconsistent and confusing results, which should be considered to gain a proper understanding of AchA infarction.

The Progressive Course of Neurological Symptoms in Anterior Choroidal Artery Infarcts

Infarctions of the anterior choroidal artery affect multiple anatomical structures, leading to a wide spectrum of neurological deficits with frequent symptom fluctuation or progression. To assess etiological mechanisms, frequency, and predictors of symptom progression, as well as its impact on prognosis. Anterior choroidal artery infarct patients were prospectively identified via predefined infarct locations with ischemic lesions ≥1·5 cm vertical diameter in cerebral imaging. Definition of neurological progression was ≥2 National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale points in motor function or ≥4 in total National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale. Stroke etiology was determined according to Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) classification. We assessed demographical data, risk factors, and acute phase parameters in order to find predictors of neurological progression. Thirty patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Eighteen patients (60%) had neurological progression during days 1-3. Despite similar stroke severity at admission (median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale in progressive infarcts 4·5 versus 4; P = 0·72), patients with progression had more severe deficits at day 3 (median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale 9 vs. 3·5; P = 0·04) and worse three-month outcome. Only 31% of patients with progression scored <2 in the modified Rankin Scale compared with 89% without progression (P = 0·01) after three-months. No statistically significant differences regarding possible predictors of progression were found. Magnetic resonance imaging findings and etiological assessment suggest overlapping mechanisms of small and large vessel disease. Neurological deterioration is frequent in anterior choroidal artery infarcts and is associated with worse outcome. While mechanisms of small and large vessel disease seem to overlap in anterior choroidal artery infarction, we were not able to identify predictors of neurological progression.