Internal Carotid (internal + carotid)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Terms modified by Internal Carotid

  • internal carotid artery
  • internal carotid artery stenosis

  • Selected Abstracts


    Cluster headache: aetiology, diagnosis and management.

    HEADACHE, Issue 3 2003
    K Ekbom
    Drugs. 2002;62(1):61-69 Cluster headache is characterised by repeated attacks of strictly unilateral pain in the orbital region associated with local autonomic symptoms or signs. The attacks are brief but of a very severe, almost excruciating intensity. For unknown reasons males are affected more often than females. Recent studies suggest that an autosomal dominant gene has a role in some families with cluster headache. Hormonal studies indicate a dysfunction in the central nervous system. Neuroimaging has revealed primary defects in the hypothalamic grey matter. Local homolateral dilatation in the intracranial segment of the internal carotid and ophthalmic arteries during attacks is the result of a generic neurovascular activation, probably mediated by trigeminal parasympathetic reflexes. Sumatriptan 6mg subcutaneously is the drug of choice in the treatment of acute attacks. Inhalation of 100% oxygen can also be recommended. In the prophylactic treatment, verapamil is the first option. Other drugs that can be considered are corticosteroids, which may induce a remission of frequent, severe attacks, and lithium. Oral ergotamine tartrate may be sufficient for patients with night attacks and/or short, rather mild to moderately severe cluster headache periods. Third line drugs are serotonin inhibitors (methysergide and pizotifen) and valproic acid. Patients should be encouraged to keep headache diaries and be carefully instructed about the nature and treatment of the headaches. Alcohol can bring on extra attacks and should not be consumed during active periods of cluster headache. Comment: A useful review of clinical options. Given the effectiveness of injectable sumatriptan and the prophylactic use of ergotamine mentioned, one might speculate that the new intranasal formulations of triptans (eg, zolmitriptan) and triptans with a longer half-life (eg, frovatriptan) may prove to be effective in the treatment of cluster headache. DSM [source]


    Fibromuscular dysplasia of cervical and intracranial arteries

    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF STROKE, Issue 4 2010
    Emmanuel Touzé
    Fibromuscular dysplasia is an uncommon, segmental, nonatherosclerotic arterial disease of unknown aetiology. The disease primarily affects women and involves intermediate-sized arteries in many areas of the body, including cervical and intracranial arteries. Although often asymptomatic, fibromuscular dysplasia can also be associated with spontaneous dissection, severe stenosis that compromises the distal circulation, or intracranial aneurysm, and is therefore responsible for cerebral ischaemia or subarachnoid haemorrhage. Fibromuscular dysplasia affects middle and distal portions of the internal carotid and vertebral arteries, and occasionally, intracranial arteries. Several pathological and angiographic patterns exist. The most frequent pathological type is medial fibromuscular dysplasia, which is associated with the ,string of beads' angiographic pattern. Unifocal lesions are less common and can be associated with several pathological subtypes. The pathophysiology of the disease is widely unknown. Fibromuscular dysplasia may in fact result from various causes and reflect a non-specific response to different insults. The poor knowledge of the natural history and the lack of randomised trials that compared the different treatment options do not allow any satisfactory judgement to be made regarding the need for or the efficacy of any treatment. [source]


    Color Doppler sonographic evaluation of flow volume of the internal carotid and vertebral arteries after carotid endarterectomy

    JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ULTRASOUND, Issue 5 2010
    Anka Mitrasinovic MD
    Abstract Background. To measure by Doppler sonography the blood flow volume (BFV) of the ipsilateral and contralateral extracranial internal carotid arteries (ICAs) and both vertebral arteries (VAs) before and after a carotid endarterectomy (CEA) of the ICA. We correlated the result with the degree of stenosis of the ICA. Method. One hundred seven patients who had a CEA were divided into 2 groups. Group I consisted of subjects with stenosis of ipsilateral ICA of ,70% to near occlusion and Group II included subjects with near occlusion. The Doppler sonographic examinations were performed 1 day before the CEA, 7 days after the CEA, and 1 month after the CEA. The peak systolic velocity, end-diastolic velocity, time-averaged maximum blood flow velocity, resistance index of the ipsilateral ICA, and the BFV of both ICAs and both VAs were calculated. Result. There was a significant increase in the peak systolic velocity, maximum blood flow velocity, and the BFV of the ipsilateral ICA after the CEA. The BFV of the contralateral ICA and both VAs were not significantly altered after the CEA in both groups. Conclusion. The main CEA hemodynamic effect was an increase in the BFV of the ipsilateral ICA regardless of the degree of stenosis. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound, 2010 [source]


    Intracranial Vasculitis and Multiple Abscesses in a Pregnant Woman

    JOURNAL OF NEUROIMAGING, Issue 3 2001
    Mutlu Cihangiroglu
    ABSTRACT Cerebral vasculitis is an unusual disorder with many causes. Infectious causes of cerebral vasculitis are predominantly bacterial or viral in nature. Purulent bacterial vasculitis is most often a complication of severe bacterial meningitis. The patient is a 25-year-old African American female, 25 weeks pregnant, who presented to the neurology service after a consult and referral from an outside hospital. She had a 1-month history of right sixth nerve palsy. Initial workup included a negative lumber puncture and a noninfused magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Three days later, the patient developed right-sided migraine headaches and right third nerve palsy. The angiogram revealed diffuse irregularity and narrowing of the petrous, cavernous, and supraclinoid portions of the internal carotid and right middle cerebral arteries. Shortly thereafter, an MRI examination revealed diffuse leptomeningeal enhancement and abscess and a right parietal subdural empyema. Infectious vasculitis secondary to purulent meningitis has a rapidly progressive course and presents with cranial nerve palsy with involvement of the cavernous sinus. Although the association of this disease with pregnancy has not been established, it should be recognized that the early imaging studies may be negative or discordant and follow-up imaging might be necessary. [source]


    Neurological aspects of osteopetrosis

    NEUROPATHOLOGY & APPLIED NEUROBIOLOGY, Issue 2 2003
    C. G. Steward
    The osteopetroses are caused by reduced activity of osteoclasts which results in defective remodelling of bone and increased bone density. They range from a devastating neurometabolic disease, through severe malignant infantile osteopetrosis (OP) to two more benign conditions principally affecting adults [autosomal dominant OP (ADO I and II)]. In many patients the disease is caused by defects in either the proton pump [the a3 subunit of vacuolar-type H(+)-ATPase, encoded by the gene variously termed ATP6i or TCIRG1] or the ClC-7 chloride channel (ClCN7 gene). These pumps are responsible for acidifying the bone surface beneath the osteoclast. Although generally thought of as bone diseases, the most serious consequences of the osteopetroses are seen in the nervous system. Cranial nerves, blood vessels and the spinal cord are compressed by either gradual occlusion or lack of growth of skull foramina. Most patients with OP have some degree of optic atrophy and many children with severe forms of autosomal recessive OP are rendered blind; optic decompression is frequently attempted to prevent the latter. Auditory, facial and trigeminal nerves may also be affected, and hydrocephalus can develop. Stenosis of both arterial supply (internal carotid and vertebral arteries) and venous drainage may occur. The least understood form of the disease is neuronopathic OP [OP and infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy, MIM (Mendelian inheritance in man) 600329] which causes rapid neurodegeneration and death within the first year. Although characterized by the finding of widespread axonal spheroids and accumulation of ceroid lipofuscin, the biochemical basis of this disease remains unknown. The neurological complications of this disease and other variants are presented in the context of the latest classification of the disease. [source]


    Morphological Investigations on the Circulus Arteriosus Cerebri in Mole-Rats (Spalax leucodon)

    ANATOMIA, HISTOLOGIA, EMBRYOLOGIA, Issue 3 2008
    A. Aydin
    Summary The aim of the present study is to investigate the circulus arteriosus cerebri in mole-rats (Spalax leucodon). Six adult mole-rats were used for this purpose. Coloured latex was injected into the left ventriculus of the hearts of all the animals. After careful dissection, the circulus arteriosus cerebri (the circle of Willis) was investigated. The cerebrum and the cerebellum were supplied by the internal carotid- and the basilar arteries respectively forming the circulus arteriosus cerebri in mole-rats. In the investigated objects, the internal carotid- and the basilar arteries were not united directly and for this reason the circulus arteriosus cerebri was not formed completely in mole-rat. The branches supplying the medulla oblongata and the cerebellum originate from the basilar artery formed by union of the left and right vertebral arteries and the internal ophthalmic, the caudal cerebral, the choroid, the median cerebral, the rostral cerebral arteries originated from the internal carotid artery. After giving off the medial cerebral artery, the right and left rostral cerebral arteries on every two sides divided into the lateral and medial twin branches and by union of the lateral branches the internal ethmoidal artery, and by union of the medial branches, the ramus extending to facies medialis cerebri were formed. The ramus extending to the facies medialis cerebri was anastomosed with the branch of the caudal cerebral artery on the back of the corpus callosum. The last part of the basilar artery gave the two branches running toward the right and left side on the pontocrural groove (sulcus pontocruralis) and every one of these branches ramified into two rami. One of these rami formed into the rostral cerebellar artery and the other one extended to the tectum mesencephali. In conclusion, the arterial circle of the cerebrum and cerebellum was supplied by the internal carotid artery and the basilar artery respectively in mole-rats. [source]


    Vascularization of the Fleshy Comb in the Domestic Chicken

    ANATOMIA, HISTOLOGIA, EMBRYOLOGIA, Issue 2005
    B. Vollmerhaus
    Up to now little is known about the vascularization of the chicken fleshy comb (crista carnosa). In order to evaluate the vascularization of the crista carnosa of the cook (breed White Leghorn), corrosion casts were created by injecting Plastoid into the internal carotid as described by Schummer (1951). Specimens were investigated by stereomicroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Generally the dermis is highly vascularized by two capillary networks, which are localized beneath the epithelium and beneath the dermal papillas. The dense subepithelial network is characterized by the presence of sinusoid vessels. In the subcutaneous plexus numerous arteriovenous anastomoses of different types occur. Additionally there are arteriovenous anastomoses between the main vessels reaching the indentations of the comb. Our results show the presence of superficial and dense capillary networks and arteriovenous anastomoses are the anatomical basis for the functions of the chicken comb in mating behaviour and thermoregulation. Reference, Schummer, A. 1951: Simplified method for plastoid corrosion. Anat. Anaz. 98, 288,290. [source]


    Donitriptan, but not sumatriptan, inhibits capsaicin-induced canine external carotid vasodilatation via 5-HT1B rather than 5-HT1D receptors

    BRITISH JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 1 2006
    E Muñoz-Islas
    Background and purpose: It has been suggested that during a migraine attack capsaicin-sensitive trigeminal sensory nerves release calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), resulting in cranial vasodilatation and central nociception; hence, trigeminal inhibition may prevent this vasodilatation and abort migraine headache. This study investigated the effects of the agonists sumatriptan (5-HT1B/1D water-soluble), donitriptan (5-HT1B/1D lipid-soluble), PNU-142633 (5-HT1D water-soluble) and PNU-109291 (5-HT1D lipid-soluble) on vasodilator responses to capsaicin, , -CGRP and acetylcholine in dog external carotid artery. Experimental approach: 59 vagosympathectomized dogs were anaesthetized with sodium pentobarbitone. Blood pressure and heart rate were recorded with a pressure transducer, connected to a cannula inserted into a femoral artery. A precalibrated flow probe was placed around the common carotid artery, with ligation of the internal carotid and occipital branches, and connected to an ultrasonic flowmeter. The thyroid artery was cannulated for infusion of agonists. Key results: Intracarotid infusions of capsaicin, , -CGRP and acetylcholine dose-dependently increased blood flow through the carotid artery. These responses remained unaffected after intravenous (i.v.) infusions of sumatriptan, PNU-142633, PNU-109291 or physiological saline; in contrast, donitriptan significantly attenuated the vasodilator responses to capsaicin, but not those to , -CGRP or acetylcholine. Only sumatriptan and donitriptan dose-dependently decreased the carotid blood flow. Interestingly, i.v. administration of the antagonist, SB224289 (5-HT1B), but not of BRL15572 (5-HT1D), abolished the inhibition by donitriptan. Conclusions and implications: Our results suggest that the inhibition produced by donitriptan of capsaicin-induced external carotid vasodilatation is mainly mediated by 5-HT1B, rather than 5-HT1D, receptors, probably by a central mechanism. British Journal of Pharmacology (2006) 149, 82,91. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706839 [source]


    Endovascular management of traumatic cervicothoracic arteriovenous fistula

    BRITISH JOURNAL OF SURGERY (NOW INCLUDES EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SURGERY), Issue 12 2003
    D. F. du Toit
    Background: This study evaluated a single-centre experience with endovascular repair of traumatic arteriovenous fistula in the cervicothoracic region. Methods: Endovascular repair of 27 traumatic cervicothoracic arteriovenous fistulas was attempted between August 1998 and December 2001. Patients with active bleeding or end-organ ischaemia were excluded. Follow-up was accomplished with clinical, duplex Doppler and arteriographic evaluation after 1 month and then every 3 months. Results: Twelve patients with a major vessel injury were treated by stent-graft placement. Vessels involved were the subclavian (eight), common carotid (three) and internal carotid (one) arteries. Subclavian artery side branches were embolized in three of the eight patients. Four patients developed early type 4 endoleaks but all resolved. Treatment with stent-grafts was ultimately successful in all 12 patients. Three patients were lost to follow-up. During mean follow-up of 21 (range 3,36) months, one of the remaining patients developed a graft stenosis. Fifteen patients with minor vessel injuries were treated with arterial embolization. Vessels embolized were subclavian artery branches (four), external carotid artery and branches (seven) and vertebral arteries (four). Successful embolization was accomplished in ten of 15 patients. Conclusion: Endovascular therapy is a promising alternative to surgery for selected patients with cervicothoracic arteriovenous fistula. Copyright © 2003 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]