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Amyloidosis - cerebral; CAA
Cerebral amyloid angiopathy can cause bleeding into the brain, usually in the outer parts of the brain, called the lobes, and not the deep areas. Symptoms occur because bleeding in the brain harms brain tissue. If there is a lot of bleeding, immediate symptoms occur and resemble a stroke. Such symptoms include:
Other symptoms can include:
Cerebral amyloid angiopathy is difficult to diagnose with certainty without a sample of brain tissue. This is usually done after death or when a biopsy of the blood vessels of the brain is done.
A physical exam can be relatively normal if you have a small bleed, but you may show some brain function changes. It is important for the doctor to ask detailed questions about your medical history. Your symptoms and the results of your physical exam and any imaging tests may cause your doctor to suspect this problem.
A CT scan or MRI of the head may show:
Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) of the brain can help with the diagnosis of large bleeds and may be used to rule out arteriovenous malformation or aneurysm as the cause of the bleed.
Another type of MRI scan can help show tiny areas where blood has escaped from blood vessels into brain tissue.
Kinnecom C, Lev MH, Wendell L, et al. Course of cerebral amyloid angiopathy-related inflammation. Neurology. 2007;68:1411-1416.
Zivin JA. Hemorrhagic cerebrovascular disease. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 432.
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