MOYAMOYA DISEASE

Course overview

MOYAMOYA DISEASE (MMD) IS AN ISOLATED CHRONIC, USUALLY BILATERAL, VASCULOPATHY OF UNDETERMINED ETIOLOGY CHARACTERIZED BY PROGRESSIVE NARROWING OF THE TERMINAL INTRACRANIAL PORTION OF THE INTERNAL CAROTID ARTERY AND CIRCLE OF WILLIS. MOYAMOYA SYNDROME (MMS) CORRESPONDS TO THE SAME MOYAMOYA PHENOMENON BUT OCCURRING IN THE BACKGROUND OF EITHER NEUROLOGICAL OR EXTRA-NEUROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, EITHER INHERITED OR ACQUIRED. A FRAGILE NETWORK OF ABUNDANT COLLATERAL VESSELS AS A REACTION TO CHRONIC BRAIN ISCHEMIA DEVELOPS PREDOMINANTLY AT THE BASE OF THE BRAIN KNOWN AS MOYAMOYA VESSELS. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, EVALUATION, AND MANAGEMENT OF MOYAMOYA DISEASE AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE MANAGEMENT OF AFFECTED PATIENTS.