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Updated: May 10, 2026
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Bilateral Common Carotid Artery Occlusion as an Adequate Preconditioning Stimulus to Induce Early Ischemic Tolerance to Focal Cerebral Ischemia
Published on: May 9, 2013
Poor outcome associated with probable bilateral extracranial ICA vasospasm
Nobufusa Nobuhiro Sawa1, Hiroshi Kataoka, Satoshi Ueno
1Department of Neurology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan.
BMJ Case Reports
|June 11, 2013
Summary
This case study documents a rare instance of bilateral extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) vasospasm. The condition led to progressive narrowing of the arteries and ultimately resulted in patient death.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Vascular Medicine
- Radiology
Background:
- Internal carotid artery (ICA) vasospasm is a rare condition.
- Extracranial ICA vasospasm is even rarer, with few documented cases.
Observation:
- A woman presented with bilateral extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) vasospasm.
- Initial MRI revealed white matter lesions; CT showed evolving infarcts in anterior and middle cerebral arteries.
- CT angiography demonstrated marked, elongated narrowing of both ICAs and low density in ACA and MCA territories.
Findings:
- The patient experienced neurological deterioration.
- Progressive stenosis of bilateral extracranial ICAs was observed.
- The case represents the first documentation of bilateral ICA spasm causing elongated narrowing of these vessels.
Implications:
- This case highlights the severe potential consequences of bilateral extracranial ICA vasospasm.
- It underscores the importance of advanced imaging in diagnosing and monitoring this condition.
- Further research into the pathophysiology and treatment of extracranial ICA vasospasm is warranted.
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