J Korean Neurosurg Soc.  1978 Jun;7(1):61-68.

Clinical Analysis on 10 Patients with the Cerebral Rete Mirabile

• Choi JU
• Kim KM
• Jee SH
• Kim SC

Abstract

Cerebral rete mirabile is an entity of particular disease which showed the specific angiographic findings. Many authors have been reported this disease with various discussion in opinion. It's exact pathogenesis and etiology were however unable to establish. Authors had experienced a total of 10 cases with cerebral rete mirabile from 3 period of 1973 to 1977, which were confirmed by cerebral angiography. We attempted to analyze it clinically and discussed with the review of literature. The result were summarized as following; 1) In age and sex distribution, 8 patients were over 20 years old age and 2 cases were below 20. 7 cases were female and 3 male. 2) Majority of cases(8 of 10 cases) were accompanied with subarachnoid hemorrhage and only 2 cases were non-hemorrhagic which all were over 20 years. 3) In 8 cases with subarachnoid hemorrhage initial symptoms were mainly impairment of consciousness and signs of meningeal irritation such as headache and vomiting etc. Other common initial symptoms in both non-hemorrhagic and hemorrhagic cases were hemiparesis, speech disturbance and seizure. 4) All cases disclosed the characteristic angiographic findings of cerebral rete mirabile. A patient showed nonfilling of left carotid system and anomaly of left vertebral artery. Aneurysm of anterior communicating artery was combined in other case. It is our consideration that vertebral angiography must be helpful in this disease to demonstrate the collateral circulation and an abnormal findings of vertebrobasilar system.

MeSH Terms

Aneurysm
Angiography
Arteries
Cerebral Angiography
Collateral Circulation
Consciousness
Female
Headache
Humans
Male
Paresis
Seizures
Sex Distribution
Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Vertebral Artery
Vomiting
Young Adult