Asymptomatic Complete Occlusion of Extracranial Internal Carotid Artery: A Case Report

Abstract

This article reports on head-and-neck computed tomography angiography imaging findings and data of ultrasound examination of the extracranial carotid and vertebral arteries of 69-year-old patient with unilateral asymptomatic complete occlusion of extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) in combination with unusually elongated styloid processes of temporal bone. The aim of the study was to specify the collateral pathways blood supply to the brain and to assess the possible clinical significance of an abnormally elongated styloid pro cess. Adequate cerebral blood flow was provided by anastomoses between the arteries at the base of the brain. This can explain the asymptomatic unilateral complete occlusion of the extracranial ICA. Occlusion of the artery was not associated with the presence of a 5.5 cm styloid process. Computed tomography angiography is a highly informative method for visualizing the individual morphological variants to clarify their clinical significance.