Acute cerebral revascularization: part I. Cerebral ischemia experimental animal model.

Thirty-two mongrel dogs divided into two groups were subjected to a transorbital occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) or a combined transorbital MCA and cervical internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion. Clinically apparent deficits were present in the MCA group in 18% of cases and in 73% of MCA/ICA cases. Pathologically, 55% of MCA cases and 73% of MCA/ICA cases had demonstrable areas of infarction. The incidence and severity of clinical deficits as well as the location and extent of pathological infarction were significantly greater (p less than 0.05) with the MCA/ICA group than in the MCA group. The mortality rate and frequency of pathologically apparent infarcts were not statistically different p greater than 0.05. No hemorrhagic infarctions were seen in any case.