Is moyamoya disease progressive, and will my childs condition worsen with time?
All patients with moyamoya disease will develop progressive narrowing of their brain blood vessels over time, and we have never seen an exception to this rule after more than three decades of studying these patients. Along with this progressive narrowing of the brain blood vessels, the patient’s clinical condition also worsens; this is why we believe that surgery to increase the brain’s borderline blood supply is so important for most patients. The rate of progression is extremely variable from patient to patient, however, with some patients experiencing a rapid course with many strokes over less than a year, and others a slow and desultory progression which may take decades to evolve.
