Vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia causing obstructive hydrocephalus and cerebellar edema due to fourth ventricular obstruction

Abstract

Cerebral dolichoectasia is an angiopathy involved in a variety of clinical presentations. Patients can rarely present with hydrocephalus as a result of ectatic vessels. We report the case of a 49-year-old male with cerebral dolichoectasia who presented with rare complications of obstructive hydrocephalus, and to our knowledge, a previously unreported cause of fourth ventricular obstruction and cerebellar edema. He represented a diagnostic challenge and after a prolonged admission he was treated successfully with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. The underlying causes and rarity of diagnosis of cerebral dolichoectasia remain a significant barrier in the optimal treatment of patients as they are often treated for their immediate clinical problem with no definitive treatment for the underlying pathology.

Keywords

• Cerebral dolichoectasia
• Obstructive Hydrocephalus
• Fourth ventricle