Reversible Occlusion of Donor STA Caused by Mouth Opening in Adult Moyamoya Patients: The ‘Big Bite Ischemic Phenomenon’

Abstract

The authors experienced a curious phenomenon in an adult moyamoya patient. Mouth opening caused reversible occlusion of the donor superficial temporal artery (STA), and the patient exhibited transient cerebral ischemic symptoms. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of such occlusion and the mechanisms behind this phenomenon.