Granulomatous Amyloid Angiopathy in a Patient With Persistent Headache

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is a type of cerebrovascular disorder characterized by the accumulation of amyloid beta peptide within the walls of small to medium-sized blood vessels in the brain and leptomeninges. This can cause a variety of symptoms, depending on the location and extent of the deposits. Common presentations of amyloid angiopathy include cognitive decline, memory loss, headaches, vision changes, stroke-like symptoms, and seizures. In some cases, there may be no noticeable symptoms. A 78-year-old female was admitted for ongoing evaluation of a persistent headache after her primary care physician (PCP) ordered outpatient magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that showed findings concerning metastatic tumors versus infectious processes. She underwent a right temporal lobe biopsy, which confirmed the diagnosis of granulomatous amyloid angiopathy.