Intracranial balloon angioplasty of acute terminal internal carotid artery occlusions.
Acute embolic occlusion of the intracranial internal carotid bifurcation is associated with a poor prognosis. Recanalization rates of this lesion with intravenous or intraarterial thrombolysis are exceedingly low. We describe the use of balloon angioplasty after failed thrombolysis to achieve immediate recanalization of acute carotid T occlusions in two patients. At 1-month follow-up, both patients were alive with neurologic deficits. For acute carotid T occlusion, balloon angioplasty should be considered a first-line endovascular therapy.
Song
Joon K
JK
Division of Interventional Neuroradiology, University of Texas Medical School, Houston 77030, USA.
Cacayorin
Edwin D
ED
Campbell
Morgan S
MS
Fisher
Stanley
S
Malkoff
Marc D
MD
Alexandrov
Andrei V
AV
Grotta
James C
JC
D000368:Aged; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon; D002341:Carotid Artery Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography