title: Spontaneous recanalization of the internal carotid artery resulting in thromboembolic occlusion of the ipsilateral ophthalmic artery and visual loss.
abstract: We report a 54-year-old man who suffered a stroke from a complete right internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion. Two months later, he presented with right eye blindness. Imaging demonstrated 50% recanalization of his right ICA. He underwent a right carotid endarterectomy to prevent contralateral stroke from emboli through a patent anterior communicating artery. Recanalization of a completely occluded proximal ICA due to atherosclerotic disease has been reported but is rare, but such patients emphasize the importance of follow-up vascular studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University of Utah, 175 North Medical Drive East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132, USA.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Binning
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: W T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Couldwell
mesh_terms: D001766:Blindness / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000473:pathology*; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009880:Ophthalmic Artery / Q000473:pathology*; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed