Common carotid artery occlusion.

Abstract

Symptomatic common carotid artery occlusion (CCAO) is rare. We studied 17 patients with ischemic cerebrovascular symptoms and unilateral CCAO on angiography to help clarify clinical and radiologic features. Mean age was 62 years; 65% were women. Predominant symptoms and signs included visual-ipsilateral monocular or retrochiasmal symptoms (88%), motor weakness (88%), sensory disturbance (59%), dizziness/lightheadedness (53%), and syncope (24%). Dysarthria, headache, or involuntary limb shaking occurred less frequently. Positionally related symptoms occurred in approximately two-thirds of the patients. TIAs were often multiple and preceded a stroke or occurred without subsequent stroke in 82%. Hemispheric TIAs contralateral to the CCAO occurred in 41%. Ten patients (59%) suffered stroke, seven (70%) of which were ipsilateral to the CCAO. Vascular risk factors included cigarette use (76%), hypertension (71%), diabetes mellitus (41%), and hyperlipidemia (41%); 82% had two or more risk factors. Known cardiac disease was present in 59%. CCAO was present at the origin of the vessel in most patients. Most had atherosclerotic narrowing of multiple extracranial large vessels. During follow-up, none of the patients had a spontaneous second infarct; five had TIAs, including two with amaurosis fugax, all in the CCAO territory. More restricted external carotid collaterals may, in part, explain the higher frequency of ipsilateral stroke and contralateral TIAs than reported for internal carotid occlusion.