title: Oscillating thromboemboli within the extracranial internal carotid artery demonstrated by ultrasonography in patients with acute cardioembolic stroke.
abstract: We detected oscillating thromboemboli at the extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) by duplex carotid ultrasonography in patients with acute cardioembolic stroke. Using B-mode ultrasonography, we evaluated the extracranial ICA in 11 patients with acute cardioembolic ICA occlusion. A homogeneous, elastic, oscillating intraluminal mass echo originating in the extracranial ICA extended distally in 5 (46%) of these patients. The echoes moved quickly and distally during the systolic phase of the cardiac cycle and returned slowly to the original position during the diastolic phase. We performed a postmortem study 24 days after stroke onset in 1 patient with an oscillating intraluminal mass echo that had been demonstrated by duplex ultrasonography. The ICA lumen was obstructed with a fresh string-like thrombus. The findings of oscillating intraluminal mass echo may help establish a diagnosis of acute embolic ICA occlusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, National Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yasaka
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Minematsu
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uchino
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yonemura
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ogata
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002341:Carotid Artery Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex