Hyperperfusion phenomenon after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty for atherosclerotic stenosis of the intracranial vertebral artery. Case report.

The authors report on a patient who underwent percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) for stenosis of the intracranial vertebral artery (VA). This 67-year-old man's dizziness while walking was caused by infarction of the left cerebellar peduncle. On angiograms, his left VA manifested 90% stenosis at the intracranial portion and his right VA ended at the posterior inferior cerebellar artery. Because single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) showed low perfusion and poor perfusion reserve in the posterior circulation, the authors performed PTA of the left VA, which was only 35% dilated due to stenosis. Although the patient's postoperative course was uneventful, postoperative hemodynamic studies (SPECT and transcranial Doppler [TCD] ultrasonography) revealed the hyperperfusion phenomenon. A 100% increase of regional cerebral blood flow in the posterior circulation was demonstrated on SPECT studies and TCD ultrasonography revealed a doubling of blood flow velocity in the VA compared with preoperative values. Careful control of the patient's blood pressure resulted in resolution of the hyperperfusion phenomenon within I week post-PTA. Although hyperperfusion syndrome following carotid endarterectomy is not rare, it is seldom seen after reconstruction of the posterior circulation, and the possibility of its occurrence must be kept in mind when the posterior circulation is reconstructed.