[Post-traumatic lesion of the carotid artery. Evaluation of the clinico-radiological diagnosis].
BACKGROUND
Posttraumatic vascular lesions of the carotid artery (PLCA) are infrequent but have a high morbid-mortality, so early diagnosis and treatment is important.


OBJECTIVE
To review the clinical and radiological findings of the PLCA with the hypothesis that there are signs which permit early diagnosis.


METHODS
A retrospective study of 9 patients (p) with PLCA.


RESULTS
The cause was road traffic accident (4p), fall (1p) or a single abrupt cervical movement (4p). The initial clinical feature was cervical pain (1p), deafness (1p), Claude-Bernard-Horner syndrome (4p) or symptoms of a cerebral vascular accident (6p). Cranial CT showed a cerebral infarct in the territory of the middle cerebral artery (6p), subarachnoid hemorrhage (1p) or normal (3p). Diagnosis of the vascular lesion was made using magnetic resonance (9p), arteriography (5p) and echo-Doppler (4p). The vascular lesions were: severe stenosis due to a mural thrombosis (3p), complete obstruction due to thrombosis (4p) and pseudoaneurysm (2p).


CONCLUSIONS
PLCA should be suspected following craniofacial-cervical trauma when there was an abrupt neck movement, a Claude-Bernard-Horner syndrome is present or a cerebral infarct in the territory of the middle cerebral artery is shown.
Pedraza
S
S
Unidad de TC y RM (IDI), Hospital General Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, España. sapedraza@hotmail.com
Balsera
B
B
Baguena
M
M
Grivé
E
E
Garnacho
A
A
Rovira
A
A
D000328:Adult; D020212:Carotid Artery Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000209:etiology; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006732:Horner Syndrome / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019838:Neck Injuries / Q000150:complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed