Bilateral extracranial internal carotid artery injury due to non-penetrating trauma--report of three cases.

Angiographic features of three patients with bilateral internal carotid artery injury (spasm/dissection/thrombosis) due to non-penetrating trauma are reported. All three patients were involved in motor vehicle accidents. Focal-localizing neurological signs were present and the patients were suspected of having extracerebral haematomas. The diagnosis of traumatic spasm/dissection/thrombosis of the cervical portion of the internal carotid arteries was made following angiography. The need to include views of the cervical carotid arteries in cases of traumatic hemiparesis is stressed and possible effect of cranial CT scanning in these patients on diagnosis of carotid artery injury discussed.