title: A stone at the Siege of Cyropolis and the death of Alexander the Great.
abstract: Alexander the Great was struck by a stone at the Siege of Cyropolis in 329 BC and was rendered temporarily blind and inaudible as a result. Although other authors have written extensively about the likely pathological effects of this injury, none have suggested carotid artery dissection as a possible cause. We present evidence that this should be considered as a differential diagnosis and how it might explain an unusual symptom seen at his deathbed in Babylon six years later.
authors.affiliation: Centre for the History of Medicine, University of Birmingham Medical School, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arnott
mesh_terms: D019575:Blindness, Cortical / Q000266:history*; D020212:Carotid Artery Injuries / Q000266:history*; D020215:Carotid Artery, Internal, Dissection / Q000266:history*; D005197:Famous Persons; D000076145:Greece, Ancient; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019838:Neck Injuries / Q000266:history*; D019071:Persia; D014857:Warfare; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000266:history*