[Unilateral agenesis of the internal carotid artery in childhood: description of a case].
BACKGROUND
Unilateral or bilateral agenesis of the internal carotid artery has not often been described in children since it is usually asymptomatic.


METHODS
We describe a case of isolated unilateral agenesis of the internal carotid artery in a child of 20 months old who presented with two episodes of status convulsives, the first after a head injury and the second when he was febrile. The anomaly was a casual finding, diagnosed on cerebral magnetic resonance when there was no signal corresponding to carotid blood flow. It was confirmed by echography-doppler and angiographic magnetic resonance. We also describe the neuro-radiological findings which led to the diagnosis of this anomaly.


CONCLUSIONS
We consider that unilateral agenesis of the carotid artery was a casual finding in this case. The provisional diagnosis may be made when there is absence of vascular signals on conventional magnetic resonance.
Martínez-Granero
M A
MA
Servicio de Neurologia Infantil, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid.
Martínez-Bermejo
A
A
Arcas
J
J
González
T
T
Viaño
J
J
López-Martín
V
V
Pascual-Castroviejo
I
I
D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000002:abnormalities*; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male