Stroke secondary to fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is an interruption of blood flow to the brain due to problems with the structure of the arteries that supply the brain with blood.

A stroke is an interruption of the blood supply to any part of the brain. Stroke secondary to fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) primarily affects women, especially those older than 50.

FMD is an inherited disorder involving the ongoing destruction of arterial blood vessels. There are areas of increased muscle and fibrous (scar-like) tissue in the wall of the affected arteries, which alternate with enlarged (dilated) areas of destroyed tissue. This irregularity in the arteries increases the risk for stroke.

The disease may affect the neck arteries (carotids) that supply blood to the brain, or the arteries within the brain (cerebral) and cause stroke. It may also affect the following arteries:

• Kidneys (renal)
• Intestinal tract (mesenteric)
• Heart (coronary)
• Groin (iliac)

Secondary symptoms include high blood pressure, leg pain, heart attack, kidney failure, and other disorders.

Risks include a personal or family history of FMD.

• Weakness or total inability to move a body part
• Numbness, tingling or other abnormal sensations
• Decreased or lost vision, partial or temporary
• Language difficulties (aphasia)
• Inability to recognize or identify visual cues (agnosia)
• Loss of memory
• Vertigo (abnormal sensation of movement)
• Loss of coordination
• Swallowing difficulties
• Personality changes
• Mood and emotion changes
• Urinary incontinence (lack of control over bladder)
• Lack of control over the bowels
• Consciousness changes:
  • Sleepiness
  • Stupor, lethargy
  • Coma, loss of consciousness

The exact location and extent of the stroke, and changes in the arteries indicating FMD may be seen on:

• Head CT scan
• Ultrasound of the arteries involved
• Head MRI /MRA

An arteriography or angiography of the head may show blood vessel changes such as narrowing of the arteries.

An artery biopsy confirms the diagnosis of FMD (this is not performed on brain blood vessels).