Role of digital subtraction angiography in diagnosis of fibromusculardysplasia

Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is a vascular disease characterized by abnormal arterial wall architecture, usually visualized angiographically as the classic “string of beads” sign. We present the diagnostic dilemma of a 51-year-old woman admitted for a spontaneous renal infarct, with initial examina...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Christine Wang, Animesh Singla, Krishna Kotecha, Daniel Nguyen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2021-01-01
Series:Indian Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.indjvascsurg.org/article.asp?issn=0972-0820;year=2021;volume=8;issue=5;spage=80;epage=82;aulast=Wang
Description
Summary:Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is a vascular disease characterized by abnormal arterial wall architecture, usually visualized angiographically as the classic “string of beads” sign. We present the diagnostic dilemma of a 51-year-old woman admitted for a spontaneous renal infarct, with initial examination and investigations equivocal. She was consequently assessed for thromboembolic and vasculitic disease, before proceeding to digital subtraction angiography (DSA). This invasive method elucidated an area of focal FMD, previously not seen on computed tomography angiography (CTA). This is unusual due to CTA's high sensitivity and specificity but could be attributed to the less common subtype of FMD which requires combined imaging modalities to arrive at a diagnosis. Hence, there may be a role for the dual use of CTA and DSA in young patients presenting with a spontaneous renal infarct in the absence of other diagnoses.
ISSN:0972-0820
2394-0999