|
 |
|
IMAGES IN NEUROLOGY |
|
|
|
| Year : 2012 | Volume
: 15
| Issue : 4 | Page : 347-348 |
| |
Evolution of mobile plaque to complete division of carotid lumen
Slankamenac Petar, Zivanovic Zeljko, Vitic Branka, Jesic Aleksandar
Department of Neurology, Clinical Centre of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Serbia
| Date of Submission | 25-Jan-2012 |
| Date of Decision | 12-Feb-2012 |
| Date of Acceptance | 04-Jul-2012 |
| Date of Web Publication | 5-Dec-2012 |
Correspondence Address:
Zivanovic Zeljko
Department of Neurology, Clinical Centre of Vojvodina, 1 Hajduk Veljkova St, 21000 Novi Sad
Serbia
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/0972-2327.104356
How to cite this article:
Petar S, Zeljko Z, Branka V, Aleksandar J. Evolution of mobile plaque to complete division of carotid lumen. Ann Indian Acad Neurol 2012;15:347-8 |
A 57-year-old male was hospitalized 5 days after the occurrence of a right hemiparesis and speech disturbance. The patient had undergone bilateral carotid thrombendarterectomy 5 years before the accident, without any further follow-up. Underlying conditions were hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipoproteinemia.
On admission, the patient had motor aphasia, right facial nerve palsy and right pyramidal palsy. Brain computed tomography revealed an ischemic lesion in the left parietooccipital area. Carotid duplex scan showed 30% stenosis of the left internal carotid artery with a fibrolipid plaque of uneven surface on the posterior wall of the carotid bifurcation, partly spreading into the internal carotid artery. The patient was discharged with clopidogrel 75 mg and simvastatin 20 mg daily.
The 6-month follow-up carotid duplex scan showed a mobile floating ridge-shaped plaque on the posterior wall of the left common carotid artery around 25 mm below the bifurcation with obstruction of 30% [Figure 1]a. On the next 6-month control, carotid duplex scan proved the enlargement of the plaque, which was now grown into the lumen, while another small lesion located diametrically on the wall of the carotid artery was also present. The stenosis was less than 50% [Figure 1]b. Given the non-significant stenosis and the fact that the patient had been asymptomatic, the conservative treatment was continued. Six months later, the two plaques were conjoined, forming a membranous plaqe dividing the lumen of the common carotid artery [Figure 1]c. Magnetic resonance angiography confirmed double lumen of the common carotid artery [Figure 1]d. The patient was still asymptomatic. | Figure 1: (a) Duplex scan on first follow-up after discharge: longitudinal brightness-modulated (B-mode) scan shows a mobile floating plaque. (b) Follow-up duplex scan 6 months later: transverse power Doppler flow image (PDFI) scan shows incomplete division of lumen. (c) Follow-up duplex scan 6 months later: transverse PDFI scan shows completely divided lumen. (d) Magnetic resonance time of flight angiography shows divided lumen of common carotid artery
Click here to view |
Mobile floating carotid plaques are uncommon, with an estimated prevalence of one in 2000, [1] and usually originate from degenerated atherosclerotic flaps, intimal dissection flaps, post-trauma or ruptured plaque. [2],[3] As such plaques are unstable and associated with higher risk of embolic cerebrovascular events, carotid endarterectomy could be the best treatment option. [3],[4]
In contrast to dissection, double lumen only rarely occurs in atherosclerotic carotid disease. There is a possibility that a channel dissects through the atherosclerotic plaque, forming a second lumen, as described in the case series of ACSCEPT trialists. [5]
We described evolution of a ridge-shaped mobile carotid plaque that gradually divided the lumen of the common carotid artery. Most probably, tearing of the fibrous cap of the plaque occurred during endarterectomy. As the tearing enlarged, it became mobile and embolized causing ischemic stroke. Further on, the plaque grew as a mobile ridge-shaped mass eventually dividing the carotid lumen.
 References | |  |
| 1. | Kotval PS, Barakat K. Doppler and M-mode sonography of mobile carotid plaque. AJR Am J Roentgenol 1989;153:433-4. 
[PUBMED] |
| 2. | Chakhtoura EY, Goldstein JE, Hobson RW. Management of mobile floating carotid plaque using carotid artery stenting. J Endovasc Ther 2003;10:653-6.
[PUBMED] |
| 3. | Ferrero E, Ferri M, Viazzo A, Labate C, Pecchio A, Berardi G, et al. Free-floating thrombus in the internal carotid artery: diagnosis and treatment of 16 cases in a single center. Ann Vasc Surg. 2011;25:805-12.
|
| 4. | Ogata T, Yasaka M, Wakugawa Y, Kitazono T, Okada Y. Morphological classification of mobile plaques and their association with early recurrence of stroke. Cerebrovasc Dis 2010;30:606-11.
[PUBMED] |
| 5. | Yu B, Mang Pan X, Saloner D, Troyer A, Rapp JH; ACSCEPT Trialists. Double-lumen carotid plaque: A morbid configuration. J Vasc Surg 2003;37:1314-7.
[PUBMED] |
[Figure 1]
| This article has been cited by | | 1 |
Two conjoined plaques or a flap? |
|
| Authors of Document Akgün, H., Battal, B., Akgün, V., (...), Öz, O., Demirkaya, S. | | Source of the Document Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology. 2013; | | [Pubmed] | |
|
|
|
|
