J Neurosonol Neuroimag.  2023 Dec;15(2):109-113. 10.31728/jnn.2023.00146.

Occipital Steal Syndrome with Carotid Artery Occlusion–A Physiologic Study with Transcranial Doppler

• Emami M
• Zbrzeski C
• Weinberger J

• KMID: 2550078
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.31728/jnn.2023.00146

Abstract

Occipital or posterior steal syndrome is a constellation of signs and symptoms that arise from abnormal shunting of blood flow from the posterior cerebral circulation into its anterior counterpart leading to transient episodes of neurological deficits due to posterior circulation ischemia. A 45-year-old woman who experienced transient visual phenomena during breath holding was evaluated by transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) for changes in cerebral blood flow. TCD revealed that the anterior cerebral vascular system was shunting blood away from its posterior counterpart in the setting of hypercapnia, resulting in visual symptoms. Using permissive blood pressure control, the steal phenomenon was resolved.

Keyword

occipital steal syndrome; posterior steal syndrome; transcranial Doppler sonography; breath-holding index