Clinical significance of a vascular loop in the internal carotid artery
Opala, G.
Neurologia i Neurochirurgia Polska 22(3): 201-205
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0028-3843 PMID: 3221957 Document Number: 325831
In a group of 99 patients with unilateral or bilateral carotid artery loop the data in case records were analysed. In 11 cases no abnormalities were found, apart from the presence of carotid loop, that could be related to the presence of symptoms of cerebrovascular insufficiency observed in them. In 7 of them these symptoms appeared before the age of 40 years. Frequently, the appearance of symptoms was preceded by headaches and 6 patients had episodes of transient cerebral ischaemia. On lateral angiograms during lateral rotation of the head in 9 cases kinking of the arterial wall was seen which had been not observed in the anteroposterior projection. It is thought that in a small group of patients carotid loop may be the cause of cerebrovascular failure.