Moyamoya angiopathy (MMA) is a progressive steno-occlusive disease of the distal internal carotid arteries mainly described in Asia. It induces the development of collateral vascular networks to reduce chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. Symptoms depend on the patient's age in Asia: children are at greater risk of transient or constituted ischemic events, whereas adults are more exposed to hemorrhagic stroke. Data from the literature seem to show that the pattern of MMA in western countries differs from that in Asia.

A retrospective study of patients with MMA was conducted in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (mid-eastern France). Clinical data (symptoms, risk factors, age at diagnosis, number and timing of recurrences, type of treatment) as well as radiological data (angiographic findings, Suzuki's grade) were analyzed.

Seventeen adult patients (9 men, 53%) were followed at the university hospitals of Besançon and Dijon from 2009 to 2016. Fourteen patients (83%) had bilateral disease. The mean age at diagnosis was 49 years (±16), 83% of the patients were Caucasian and 17% originated from Maghreb. Only 17% of the hemispheres had a hemorrhagic form. Ischemic form was more frequent before diagnosis with transient ischemic attack (24% of patients) and stroke (83% of patients). With medical treatment, 9 patients suffered from stroke recurrence (53% of patients) with an average delay of 22.7±34 months. Three patients (18%) had combined surgical management by encephelo-synangiosis and superficial temporal artery-to-middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) anastomosis, without symptom recurrence after treatment with an average follow up of 14 months.

MMA remains a rare cerebrovascular disease in Europe and requires multidisciplinary care. Epidemiological analysis showed differences with the Asian population, especially the predominance of ischemic forms in adults.