Variable Clinical Spectrum of Fibromuscular Dysplasia of the Brachial

Cleveland, Ohio . Ana Casanegra, MD1, Vikram Kashyap, MD2, Sandra Yesenko, BA, RVT1, Carmela Tan, MD3, Heather L. Gornik, MD, MHS1 1: Vascular Medicine Section, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, 2: Department of , 3: Department of Anatomic Pathology. Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio.

Abstract Case 1 Case 2 Findings

62 year-old female 63 year-old female Figure 4: Brachial Background: Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is an uncommon surgical vascular disorder most frequently manifest in the renal and carotid • Referred to FMD clinic for a second opinion. • Developed acute pain and paleness in her left arm from the elbow to pathology. arteries. Involvement of the upper extremity arteries has been • FMD was diagnosed 15 years before with a carotid ultrasound and the hand. Hematoxylin & Eosin reportedly rarely in the medical literature and is usually unilateral. We (Panel A) and Movat’s subsequent angiogram as workup for pulsatile . • Patient was anticoagulated and transferred to our institution. identified two patients in a single center with bilateral brachial FMD. stain (panel B) with elastic fibers in black. Case 1: 62 year-old woman with pulsatile tinnitus due to FMD of • She had known FMD involvement of internal carotid and renal • Cardioembolic sources were ruled out, as well as hypercoagulable arteries bilaterally. Arrowheads mark the bilateral internal carotid arteries. She also had FMD with states. external elastic well-controlled on two agents. She was found to have a • HTN controlled with two antihypertensive medications. • Upper extremity angiogram demonstrated bilateral beaded lamina. There is diminished left brachial pulse with associated . Duplex ultrasound marked fibrosis of the appearance of the brachial arteries, occlusion of the left brachial of the arms demonstrated turbulent flow with a beaded appearance and • No neurological symptoms. No upper extremity symptoms medial layer artery with distal reconstitution through collaterals (Figure 3 and 4). velocity shifts in bilateral brachial arteries. She had no upper extremity consistent with medial • On exam she had bilateral cervical , diminished left brachial fibroplasia. symptoms. pulse and a bruit over the brachial artery. The rest of the vascular • As she continued to have rest pain and pre ulcerative lesions in the A B Case 2: 63 year-old female with left upper extremity ischemia, exam was unremarkable. fingers she underwent a left brachial- radial bypass with good clinical presented with pain from the elbow to the thumb and digital pallor. results. Surgical pathology confirmed the diagnosis (Figure 5). Workup for cardiac source of emboli was negative. Arteriography • A duplex of the upper extremities showed beaded appearance and • Renal and carotid arteries had no evidence of FMD. She has a small revealed findings of FMD in bilateral brachial arteries and occlusion of velocity shifts in both brachial arteries (Fig 1,2) Discussion basilar artery (incidental finding) the left brachial artery with partial collateral reconstitution. She had no evidence of FMD in the renal or carotid arteries. CTA identified a small • The brachial arteries are uncommonly affected by FMD, with 19 basilar artery aneurysm. She was anticoagulated and underwent left cases reported in the English literature. Twelve (63%) with bilateral Findings 3 brachial to radial artery bypass grafting for arm , rest pain Findings Findings involvement . and paresthesias of the hand with good initial results. Histopathology was consistent with FMD. • Clinical presentations include asymptomatic incidental finding, Conclusion: Though uncommon, FMD may involve the brachial A B digital , Raynaud’s phenomenon, paresthesias and dialysis arteries, generally in association with disease in other vascular beds. fistula dysfunction4,5. The presentation of brachial FMD is variable and can range from no symptoms to an ischemic limb. The evaluation of the patient with FMD • Some of the patients had other vascular beds affected by FMD at should include query for arm or hand symptoms and vascular the time of presentation. examination of the upper extremity • Treatment has been reported with antiplatelet agents, and arterial or reconstruction in symptomatic patients4. A B Conclusion Figure 1: Color power image of the right (Panel A) and left (Panel B) Brachial arteries. Note the beaded appearance of these vessels. • Though uncommon, FMD may involve the brachial arteries, with or without associated disease in other vascular beds. Introduction A B Figure 3: Arteriography of brachial arteries right (Panel A) and left • The presentation of brachial FMD is variable and can range from no (Panel B) with “string of beads” symptoms to an ischemic limb.

• The evaluation of the patient with FMD should include query for arm • FMD is a non-inflammatory non-atherosclerotic disease that affects or hand symptoms and a thorough vascular examination of the small and medium size arteries1. upper extremity • Woman in their 40s are primarily affected. • Renal and carotid arteries are the most commonly involved vascular beds 2. References • Other vascular beds can be affected although less frequently 2. • They are few case reports of FMD involving the brachial arteries3. 1. Olin Curr Opin Cardiol. 2008:527. 2. Mettinger et al. 1982:53. 3. Kolluri et al. Angiology 2004:685. 4. Dorman et al Cardiovasc Figure 2: Pulsed-wave Doppler of the brachial arteries. Panel A: Right Intervent Radiol 1994: 95. 5. Margoles et al J Vasc Interv Radiol Figure 4: Brachial artery occlusion, with distal reconstitution through Brachial artery, PSV 144 cm/s. Panel B: Left Brachial artery, PSV 105 2009:1087 collaterals. cm/s. Note the beaded appearance of both brachial arteries.