Brain angiopathy is a vascular disease that, for various reasons, causes their tone, as a result of which brain cells no longer supply blood. This is a very serious pathology that can lead to hemorrhage and even death. In some cases, it may be a disease such as microangiopathy of the brain. What it is? In this case, the operation of microscopic capillaries is disrupted. Consider this disease in more detail.
Pathology characteristic
Many heard, and some even came across with a disease such as microangiopathy of the brain. What it is? This is a pathological process that affects the capillaries and small vessels, acquiring a chronic form. In the brain, blood circulation is disturbed. Since oxygen and glucose are responsible for normal blood flow, a prolonged shortage of these substances leads to disruption of the functioning of small vessels of the brain.
Forms of microangiopathy
Such a pathology of the brain occurs as a result of disruption of the smallest blood vessels. This does not occur immediately, so it is very difficult to diagnose such a disease at an early stage.
Cerebral microangiopathy is mainly found in older people. A special risk group is made up of Alzheimer's patients. With such a disease, amyloid (glycoprotein) begins to accumulate on the walls of the veins. It is also worth noting that the pathology is difficult to diagnose and treat.
Lenticulostrial microangiopathy often affects children and is not a disease, but a feature of the circulatory system. Constant monitoring is required.
Diabetic microangiopathy occurs due to circulatory disorders in the brain, which provokes diabetes.
Hypertensive microangiopathy is caused by a violation of the circulatory system that occurs due to hypertension. It is necessary to control blood pressure and prevent sudden surges.
Causes of the disease
The development of microangiopathy occurs against the background of other diseases. It can be diabetes, oncology, liver pathology, hemolysis.
Among the main reasons are the following:
- viral infections (measles, rubella);
- pathologies that contribute to blood damage;
- diabetes;
- hypertension;
- elderly age;
- hereditary pathologies that cause vascular tone;
- various injuries;
- severe intoxication;
- abuse of bad habits.
Most often, pathology develops as a result of the following processes:
- Necrosis is the death of tissues and cells of the body.
- Hyalinosis is a lack of protein amid deposition of hyaline.
- Increased vascular permeability. As a result, fibers and structural elements of connective tissue undergo irreversible changes.
- Thrombosis, characterized by the formation of a blood clot in the lumen of the vessel, resulting in impaired blood flow.
- Vascular endothelial dysfunction, which leads to their spasm. In this condition, the production of antithrombin, prostacyclin decreases, and the concentration of thromboxane increases.
Characteristic signs of microangiopathy
The clinical manifestations of the disease depend on the specifics of organs and tissues, the damage of which occurred under the influence of certain external factors. Patients most often complain of pain and burning in the legs, decreased vision, bleeding from the stomach and nose, the development of intermittent claudication, dry skin of the feet, hemoptysis.
Thus, the following signs of microangiopathy are distinguished:
- the integrity of small vessels is violated;
- renal failure develops;
- red blood cells are damaged;
- the process of blood coagulation is disturbed;
- there is a high likelihood of subcutaneous hemorrhage.
Symptoms of the disease
Microangiopathy of the brain has the following symptoms: the patient begins to complain of a memory disorder, blurred consciousness, unreasonable weakness and headaches occur. They appear due to the fact that in the capillaries of the brain there is a violation of blood circulation. The resulting damage to the walls of small vessels activate the oxidative processes of lipids, free radicals are formed, which destructively affect brain cells.
As the disease develops, the patient becomes inattentive and forgetful. He has a shaky gait, a convergence disorder, the diameter of the pupils becomes different, and his visual functions deteriorate. In addition, frequent nose and stomach bleeding, discomfort in the legs at rest, dryness and peeling of the skin of the feet, blood clots in the urine.
Diagnostics
If there is a suspicion of a brain pathology, it is important to diagnose where the foci of microangiopathy are located and what is the degree of damage to the walls of the vessels. To do this, use the following diagnostic methods:
- MRI of the brain;
- nuclear magnetic resonance;
- Doppler ultrasound.
To get as much information as possible, they use such a fairly safe procedure for the human body as an MRI of the brain, the price of which bites a little. This method of diagnosis is considered the most popular. It allows you to identify such signs of the disease as cerebral atrophy, leukoaraiosis, expansion of perivascular spaces, microscopic hemorrhages, lacunar infarction. Brain MRI, the price of which depends on the amount of contrast medium used, makes it possible to make a correct diagnosis. If the patient weighs less than 69 kg, this figure is 2700 rubles, from 70 to 99 kg - 3200 rubles, from 100 kg and more - 4400 rubles.
The method of magnetic nuclear resonance allows the study of the brain tissue and vascular network. In this case, signs of arterial hypoplasia are clearly visible. Easily visible foci of heart attacks that occur due to vascular occlusion, cerebral hypoperfusion, microscopic hemorrhage.
The method of ultrasound dopplerography allows you to detect deviations in the vessels, blockage or narrowing of the lumen.
Treatment
Patients do not always understand when they are diagnosed with brain microangiopathy, what it is and whether it can be cured. The doctor usually prescribes complex therapy.
First of all, the patient should take drugs that normalize blood pressure. To eliminate the lack of oxygen in the brain, antihypoxants, such as Emoxipin, are used. It is also important to adjust the level of lipids using statins, fibrates, sequestrants of bile acids. These may be the following drugs: Atorvastatin, Simvastatin, Rosuvastatin.
Also, if microangiopathy is diagnosed, treatment should be carried out using nootropics that improve brain nutrition. These are "Piracetam", "Nootropil", "Cerebrozilin", "Encephabol". To normalize blood circulation, nicotinic acid preparations are used: Picammilon, Xantilona Nicotinate.
Output
Thus, we examined a disease such as microangiopathy of the brain. What is it, you now know. This is a serious pathology that requires immediate intervention. The sooner it becomes clear in what place the focus of this disease is localized and what is the degree of vascular damage, the easier it will be to minimize the consequences of such an ailment.