Arterial stationary wave phenomenon in Tolosa-Hunt syndrome

In a patient with Tolosa-Hunt syndrome, serial cerebral angiograms showed arterial stationary wave phenomenon and persistent deformity of the carotid siphon. Stationary arterial waves are noted in only 0.3 percent of cerebral angiograms and have not been reported in Tolosa-Hunt syndrome. In accordance with theories proposed by Theander and New, we felt that the intense stenosis of the carotid siphon produced by the periarteritis in our patient caused relative obstruction and high resistance, giving rise to resonance of arterial pressure waves and creation of the arterial stationary waves.