Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 25, 2025
Bilateral Common Carotid Artery Occlusion as an Adequate Preconditioning Stimulus to Induce Early Ischemic Tolerance to Focal Cerebral Ischemia
Published on: May 9, 2013
Bilateral internal carotid artery occlusion with compensatory perfusion in a HIV-infected patient
Insights
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection can cause occlusive arteriopathies leading to neurological issues. A rare case of internal carotid artery occlusion in an HIV-positive patient resulted in intraventricular hemorrhage due to compensatory blood flow.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Vascular Biology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Occlusive arteriopathies are a known complication of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection.
- Neurological symptoms can arise from vascular complications in HIV-positive individuals.
Observation:
- A case of bilateral complete occlusion of the extracranial internal carotid arteries is presented in an HIV-positive patient.
- The patient experienced a syncopal episode attributed to intraventricular hemorrhage.
Findings:
- Compensatory blood flow from the posterior cerebral circulation via the circle of Willis was observed.
- This compensatory flow led to the development of small telangiectatic vessels in the posterior cerebral circulation.
Implications:
- These telangiectatic vessels are a probable cause of the rare hemorrhagic complication.
- This case highlights a unique presentation of HIV-associated vasculopathy and its potential for severe neurological sequelae.
Summary:
HIV infection occlusive arteriopathies may result in neurological symptoms. We report a case of bilateral complete occlusion of the extracranial portions of the internal carotid arteries in a HIV+ve patient who presented with a syncopal episode due to intraventricular haemorrhage. Compensatory blood flow from the posterior cerebral circulation via the circle of Willis resulted in small telangiectatic vessels arising from the posterior cerebral circulation which probably accounted for this rare haemorrhagic complication of an occlusive arteriopathy.
