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Abstract
A 50-year-old female was admitted following a subacute and increasing headache, numbness in both hands and feet, generalised weakness and confusion.
An MRI brain revealed an acute left temporal infarct with multi-focal established infarcts. MR angiography demonstrated marked occlusive disease affecting terminal internal carotid artery and both middle cerebral and posterior cerebral arteries, in a potential Moyamoya pattern.
Lumbar puncture, extensive blood tests and echocardiography were unremarkable. A skin biopsy showed intimal thickening of the deep dermal arteries compatible with a diagnosis of Sneddon Syndrome. Livedo reticularis was absent and antiphospholipid antibodies negative. Antiplatelet therapy only was commenced given her seronegativity and Moyamoya.
Discussion Sneddon syndrome is an uncommon disorder, characterised as generalised livedo reticularis with stroke (Sneddon, 1965). It is an increasingly recognised cause of ischaemic stroke in young adults, however, its clinical course remains poorly defined in the literature (Boesch et al. 2003). It is increasingly associated with Moyamoya syndrome, posing a challenge in terms of anticoagulation in these patients (Fierini et al. 2015). To our knowledge, this is only the second reported case without livedo reticularis (Marianetti et al. 2011) - highlighting the importance of skin biopsy - and the first with this clinical and radiological combination.