4 questions parents have about moyamoya disease

Last month, families from across the country gathered at Boston Children’s Hospital to celebrate World Moyamoya Day. The expert speakers at the Moyamoya Family Day Symposium shared the latest information about this rare but very serious condition with parents and patients alike. Moyamoya disease occurs when the walls of the internal carotid arteries — the vessels that supply blood to important areas of the brain — become thickened and narrowed. As a result, blood flow to the brain slows, making blood clots more likely. Kids with moyamoya disease are at significantly higher risk of having a stroke, as well as other complications such as seizures and cognitive problems. “Most parents have never heard of moyamoya until their child is diagnosed with it,” says Dr. Edward Smith, of the hospital’s Moyamoya Disease Program. “It’s natural to have a lot of questions and concerns.” Here are four of the questions he and his colleagues are asked most often. What causes moyamoya disease? Because moyamoya disease is so rare, there’s still much we don’t know about this condition. But ongoing research is shedding light on some of the factors potentially involved in its development, from radiation-related injury to genetics. About 7 percent of children with moyamoya disease appear to have an inherited defect in a gene called RNF213. Some kids with moyamoya also have other conditions — such as Down syndrome, sickle cell disease and neurofibromatosis — which suggests a...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Ask the Expert Diseases & Conditions Dr. Edward Smith moyamoya Moyamoya Disease Program Source Type: news