CADASIL is an acronym that describes a very debilitating disease characterized by multiple strokes, progressive cognitive difficulties and migraines. The acronym stands for "Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy". In these patients multiple strokes, which begin in early adulthood, accumulate over time leading to early dementia. In many cases sufferers of CADASIL will have migraines for several years before their brains are first affected by stroke. http://stroke.about.com/b/2008/12/10/cadasil.htm
Treatment
No specific treatment is available. However, anti-platelet agents such as aspirin, Aggrenox, or Plavix might slow down the disease and help prevent strokes. Given the propensity for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications, minimizing vascular risk factors and implementing therapy for primary or secondary prevention of stroke and myocardial infarction seems prudent. Anti-platelet therapy appears justifiable whereas anticoagulation may be inadvisable given the propensity for microhemorrhages. Administering tPA following onset of stroke is not advised for CADASIL patients, due to increased risk of microhemorrhages. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CADASIL_syndrome#Treatment
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