Contralateral intracerebral hemorrhage after carotid endarterectomy

Postoperative intracerebral hemorrhage is a rare but devastating complication of carotid endarterectomy. Intracerebral hemorrhage on the side contralateral to the carotid endarterectomy has been reported only twice before in the literature. We present a case of fatal postoperative right intracerebral hemorrhage after left carotid endarterectomy in an 81-year-old patient. A review of the literature and a discussion of the pathophysiology of this condition is presented.