The Sneddon Syndrome – A Mysterious Disease

The Sneddon syndrome is a disease the affects both the brain and the heart. This is a rare disorder that targets the blood vessels. It also causes skin problems as well as neurological abnormalities. This disease can cause reduced blood flow to the brain. Reduced blood flow is medically referred to as cerebral ischemia and it has become the main complication of this disease. The Snedden syndrome is discovered in 1965.

The Symptoms of Snedden Syndrome
The patient with Snedden syndrome will experience chronic headaches. They would also feel dizzy from time to time and it is associated with the sense of being disoriented with his surroundings. Most patients will also develop hypertension. The patient’s blood pressure will be abnormally high and it can’t be associated to anything the he did or had eaten.

Several heart diseases can also be considered as a symptom of the Sneddon syndrome. And since this disease affects the brain, patients will also have episodes of stroke, which could range from mild to severe. Doctors usually refer mild strokes to be mini-strokes. Skin lesions, also known as infarcts, may also develop in some patients. This is because the disease affects the central nervous system. The overall reduction in the body’s blood flow is the direct reason for these lesions.

And along with skin problems and other overt symptoms, patients will also observe that their mental capacity is reduced and their memory becomes weak over time. These symptoms are referred to as the neurological effects of this disease. Difficulty in memorizing and remembering names are the best examples of the disease’s neurological symptoms.

The Causes of Sneddon Syndrome
The exact cause of Sneddon syndrome is yet to be discovered. But there have been theories as to the disease being caused by immunological, genetic, and environmental factors. It has been observed that a family member who is a carrier of this disease can possibly pass it on to his offspring. But then again, the disease won’t show in the child unless it is triggered by certain circumstances.

The Diagnosis for Sneddon Syndrome

To accurately diagnose this disease, doctors request patients to undergo certain tests such as magnetic resonance imaging or MRI. An MRI is considered to be the most effective diagnosing tool for this disease because it can produce a vivid image of the heart and the brain. Other tools such as a CT scan and a cerebral arteriography are also used. All of these tests are performed with the intention of revealing lesions as well as blockages in the patient’s brain.

Skin biopsies may also be performed. This procedure involves the surgical removal of a tissue so that a microscopic study of it may be conducted. A biopsy of the skin could confirm an arteriopathy. Arteriopathy is a progressive type of an arterial disease. This is one of the primary characteristics of the Sneddon syndrome.

The Treatment of Sneddon Syndrome
There is yet to be a defined treatment method for this disease. As of this moment, its treatment depends greatly on the symptoms as observed on the patient. And all the while, the necessary support systems are also being developed so that the patient will be able to live his life as normally as possible despite the disease.

The drugs administered to patients are usually anticoagulants, vasodilators, and immunosuppressive drugs. Anticoagulants are drugs that prevent blood clots and ensure that the normal flow of blood is facilitated. The common examples of this drug are warfarin and aspirin. Vasodilators, on the other hand, are drugs that dilate or widen the blood vessels. This effectively reduces the occurrence of high blood pressure in the patient. An example of this drug is nifedipine. Immunosuppresive drugs are used to regulate the elevated intensity of antiphospholipid antibodies in the patient’s blood. This condition is very common in people with Sneddon syndrome.