Five common questions about moyamoya disease in children

At what age do children with moyamoya disease develop symptoms?

The common diagnosed age of children with moyamoya disease is 3-7 years old, but people of any age can develop moyamoya disease. I have clinically treated patients aged 1 and 2 years old, and the most common children with moyamoya disease are 3-7 years old.

Are there different types of moyamoya disease?

Moyamoya disease generally causes symptoms of cerebral ischemia in children, such as slurred speech, headaches, and seizures, while bleeding is also common in adults and the elderly.

Will moyamoya disease in children recover on its own?

The answer is no. Moyamoya disease is a progressive disease, which means that the narrowing of the cerebral arteries worsens over time, which may be years or months, but surgery is currently the only way to reduce the risk.

Will my child inherit moyamoya disease?

If the parents have been diagnosed with moyamoya disease, it is recommended to give the child an early screening. The earlier the disease is detected, the easier it is to treat.

Can children with moyamoya disease be treated the same as other healthy children?

This is worth affirming. As long as the patients do not suffer large-area cerebral infarction, they have a good recovery rate after surgical treatment, especially children.

The brain tries to compensate for the reduced blood flow by growing new blood vessels, called collaterals. While these vessels can temporarily help increase blood supply, they eventually bleed out and shrink themselves.

Surgery is the only viable long-term treatment for moyamoya disease, and several surgical treatments for moyamoya disease are effective in creating a new blood supply to the affected areas of the brain.