What does chronic small vessel ischemia mean?

Overview. Microvascular ischemic disease is a term that’s used to describe changes to the small blood vessels in the brain. Changes to these vessels can damage white matter — the brain tissue that contains nerve fibers and serves as the connection point to other parts of the brain.

What does small vessel ischemic disease mean on my MRI?

Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is an umbrella term covering a variety of abnormalities related to small blood vessels in the brain. Because most brain tissue appears white on MRIs, these abnormalities were historically referred to as “white matter changes.”

What does Leukoaraiosis mean?

Leukoaraiosis is a pathological appearance of the brain white matter, which has long been believed to be caused by perfusion disturbances within the arterioles perforating through the deep brain structures.

What is the treatment for small vessel ischemic disease?

The treatment for small vessel disease involves medications to control the narrowing of your small blood vessels that could lead to a heart attack and to relieve pain. Your doctor could prescribe: Nitroglycerin.

Is small vessel disease of the brain serious?

Health Consequences of Small Vessel Disease In the brain, SVD is strongly associated with stroke (22), and the presence of SVD in the brain hampers recovery in patients who have suffered a stroke (23). SVD in the brain is also associated with declines in psychiatric (24), and gait functions (25).

Does small vessel disease lead to dementia?

Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is the most common cause of vascular cognitive impairment, with a significant proportion of cases going on to develop dementia.

Is brain ischemia serious?

Cerebral ischemia is sometimes called brain ischemia or cerebrovascular ischemia. Cerebral ischemia can lead not only to brain-cell damage but to brain-cell death. A transient ischemic attack (TIA), also known as a mini-stroke, is when the cerebral ischemia causes the temporary loss of brain function.

How long can you live with white matter disease?

It is not possible to stop disease progression, and it is typically fatal within 6 months to 4 years of symptom onset. People with the juvenile form of metachromatic leukodystrophy, which develops between the age of 4 and adolescence, may live for many years after diagnosis.

Is white matter disease Alzheimer’s?

White matter disease is different from Alzheimer’s, which affects the brain’s gray matter. If you’re having memory problems or a loved one is, a doctor will need to run tests to make a diagnosis.

How is brain ischemia treated?

Treatment for sudden ischemia includes the intravenous medication alteplase (tPA). When administered within three hours of diagnosis, this emergency treatment has been shown to improve the medical outcome after a stroke. Sometimes, tPA can be given up to 4.5 hours after stroke symptoms start.

What are the treatment options for small vessel ischemic disease?

Doctors’ choice of management may depend on the patient’s symptoms and risk factors best suiting a patient of small vessel ischemic disease. Treatment approaches may include lifestyle changes and medications to reduce the risk of stroke, physical disability, and cognitive decline.

What happens if small vessel ischemic disease is left untreated?

Small vessel ischemic disease is very common in older adults. If left untreated, it can contribute to mental decline, strokes, walking and balance problems, and dementia. Microvascular ischemic disease is also called:

Are there any alternative medicine for small vessel disease?

Alternative medicine. A dietary supplement that may be helpful for people with small vessel disease is L-arginine. This amino acid that’s normally used by the body to help metabolize protein may help treat symptoms of small vessel disease by relaxing your blood vessels.