A New Early Finding of Moyamoya-Like Phenomena

Moyamoya disease (MMD) primarily causes constriction of internal carotid artery, but it is known to extend to the middle and anterior cerebral arteries. Some of the symptoms caused by MMD include transient ischemic attack (TIA) and seizures. The etiology of MMD from Graves’ disease (GD) is mostly caused by thyrotoxicosis, but our finding of leukocytosis indicates a new finding that may help physicians prepare for the pending outcome of MMD from GD with leukocytosis. A 26-year-old Hispanic woman with a significant past medical history of GD and hypertension presented to the emergency department complaining of cough and shortness of breath for the past 5 days. During the patient’s stay in the hospital, the patient suddenly developed numbness of the right arm with subsequent right arm weakness 10 minutes later. The head CT showed no acute intercranial hemorrhage, but MRA showed right intracranial internal carotid artery stenosis, with marked focal stenosis along the proximal supraclinoid segment, moderate stenosis along its distal supraclinoid segment with marked stenosis along the origin of the right A1 segment. It was therefore believed to be moyamoya-like phenomena. We discuss an atypical presentation that led to moyamoya-like phenomena which we believe has not been described before. We believe that presentation of idiopathic leukocytosis may have triggered the cerebral stenosis.