Traumatic Carotid Artery Thrombosis: An autopsy case.

Korean J Leg Med. 2001 Oct;25(2):48-52. Korean.

Forensic Medicine div., Southern District Office, National Institute of Scientific Investigation.

Cerebral infarction caused by Carotid injury after blunt trauma to the head and neck is rare, but these injuries have high mortality. Recently we experienced a case of carotid artery occlusion probably related to the traffic accident. A 38-year-old man was motorcycling and was struck on the front of his motorcycle by a car. He sustained rib fractures and sprain of the neck, but there was no disturbance of consciousness or paresis of extremities. 16 days later, he developed right hemiparesis. CT scan revealed infarction in the distribution of the left middle cerebral artery territories, angiography revealed total thrombotic occlusion of the left internal carotid artery just distal to the bifurcation. He died 21 days after the accident, and the postmortem exam findings were concordant with clinical findings.

Key Words : Trauma, Carotid, Thrombus, Cerebral Infarction