title: Carotid pain during percutaneous angioplasty (PTA). Pathophysiology and clinical features.
abstract: Stretching of the internal carotid artery during percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) may be associated with transient neck, facial or cranial pain. We report a series of 53 cases who received PTA. Cervical pain occurred in 51% of patients, with a radiation to face and scalp in 33%. Analysis focused on: (a) description of pain intensity, quality, timing and location; (b) investigation about the role of individual and technical parameters that could influence the relative risk of pain onset during PTA; (c) comparison with other available data on pain syndromes related to the carotid artery. Intimal flapping on post-angioplasty angiograms, bradycardia during the procedure and previous history of AMI were associated with a higher risk of painful angioplasty. PTA may also serve as a tool to investigate carotid pain and may add further knowledge to the evidence available about the role of the carotid wall in the pathogenesis of facial and cranial pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Policlinico San Marco, Bergamo-Zingonia, Italy.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Munari
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Belloni
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Moschini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mauro
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pezzuoli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Porta
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012307:Risk Factors