[Cerebral infarct following traumatic carotid artery thrombosis]

An autopsy case of a 45-year-old man is presented. The man had sustained a minor head injury in a traffic accident 11 years ago previously and 5 years later had a cerebral infarction due to thrombosis of the carotid artery. There was histological evidence of a traumatic lesion of the vessel wall. Several contradictory expert opinions were rendered regarding the questionable causal relationship between occlusion of the artery and the previous trauma. In the court of appeal, an agreement was arrived at between the widow of the deceased and the third-party insurance of the person responsible for the accident.