[Symptomatic dissection of the internal carotid artery. A rare manifestation of autosome dominant polycystic kidney disease?].

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a frequent, genetically heterogenous disease with renal and extrarenal manifestations. Intracranial aneurysms are found in about 10% of cases. Other vascular manifestations of ADPKD have been described only in small case series. We report a 44-year-old ADPKD patient who developed acute large middle cerebral artery infarction secondary to subpetrous dissection of the internal carotid artery. Six months after the stroke, pseudoaneurysm was demonstrated on magnetic resonance angiography at the site of a previous dissection. Based on this case report, we review the spectrum of neurovascular manifestations and stroke associated with ADPKD and summarize current concepts of the pathogenesis of this disease. Finally, special aspects of the diagnostic evaluation and therapeutic management in patients with ADPKD and cervicocephalic dissection are discussed.