Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is an uncommon disorder of arteries that presents in young to middle aged adults.
Clinical findings:
(1) Most patients are young to middle aged adults and most are women.
(2) There is a nonatherosclerotic fibrous proliferation that may affect the subintima, media or adventitia of the artery, resulting in constriction of the lumen which becomes more marked as the disease progresses.
(3) A single artery or multiple arteries may be involved.
Site of Involvement
Clinical Finding
renal artery
hypertension (may be resistant to therapy)
superior mesenteric artery
abdominal pain, intestinal angina, anorexia
carotid artery
stroke
intracranial artery
headache or stroke
iliac or femoral artery
claudication in the lower extremity
Differential diagnosis:
(1) atherosclerotic disease (usually occurs in an older patient)
(2) infectious or autoimmune vasculitis
(3) amyloidosis
(4) thromboembolic disease
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