Cessation of cerebral hemorrhage recurrence associated with corticosteroid treatment in a patient with cerebral amyloid angiopathy

Amyloid. 2000 Dec;7(4):284-8. doi: 10.3109/13506120009146443.

Abstract

We report the case of a 65 year old female patient with biopsy-proven cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). She experienced intracerebral hemorrhages 4 times during 23 days but these serious strokes did not recur after corticosteroid therapy was started and her condition greatly improved. Since high titers of antinuclear antibodies and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate were found in her serum, she may have an inflammatory disorder involving amyloid-laden cerebral vessels. This is the first report showing the usefulness ofcorticosteroid for the treatment of CAA-related cerebral hemorrhages. Additionally, the concentrations of Abeta40 and Abeta42 in the CSF of this patient decreased rapidly after the use of corticosteroid, and ultimately fell far below normal values.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones / therapeutic use*
  • Aged
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / cerebrospinal fluid
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging
  • Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy / cerebrospinal fluid
  • Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy / diagnostic imaging
  • Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy / drug therapy*
  • Cerebral Hemorrhage / pathology*
  • Cerebral Hemorrhage / physiopathology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Recurrence
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides