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(Stroke. 2002;33:1428.)
© 2002 American Heart Association, Inc.

Case Reports

Cerebral Infarction Due to Carotid Occlusion Caused by Cervical Vagal Neurilemmoma

Report of a Case

Ryu Matsuo, MD; Masahiro Kamouchi, MD; Tooru Inoue, MD; Yasushi Okada, MD Setsuro Ibayashi, MD

From the Departments of Cerebrovascular Disease (R.M., M.K., Y.O.) and Neurosurgery (T.I.), National Kyushu Medical Center, and Department of Medicine and Clinical Science (R.M., S.I.), Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan

Correspondence to Ryu Matsuo, MD, Department of Medicine and Clinical Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan. E-mail rymatsuo{at}df6.so-net.ne.jp

Abstract

Background— We report a case of a 71-year-old woman with cerebral infarction due to occlusion of the internal carotid artery (ICA) caused by a neck tumor.

Case Description— In 1998, the patient complained of mild hoarseness, and a diagnostic workup showed a cervical mass that was considered a benign neck tumor. In September 2000, she developed right-sided weakness. Diffusion-weighted MRI showed a high-intensity area in the territory of the left middle cerebral artery. Carotid angiography and ultrasonography revealed occlusion of the left ICA, which was due to compression by the neck tumor. Superficial temporal artery–middle cerebral artery anastomosis was performed to prevent critical reduction of cerebral blood flow in the left ICA territory; this was followed by tumor resection. The occluded ICA recanalized after tumor resection. Microscopic examination showed that the tumor was a vagal neurilemmoma.

Conclusions— This is the first case of cerebral infarction due to left ICA occlusion by a cervical neurilemmoma. Even when the neck tumor is benign, it may occlude the ICA and thereby cause cerebral infarction.

Key Words: carotid arteries • cerebral infarction • head and neck neoplasms • neurilemmoma