title: Intracranial balloon angioplasty of acute terminal internal carotid artery occlusions.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Division of Interventional Neuroradiology, University of Texas Medical School, Houston 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Joon K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Edwin D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Cacayorin
authors.forename: Morgan S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Stanley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: Marc D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Malkoff
authors.forename: Andrei V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Alexandrov
authors.forename: James C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Grotta
mesh_terms: 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