Internal carotid arterial occlusion in computed tomography

The computed tomographic appearance of internal carotid arterial occlusion was reviewed in 33 patients. In 23 of them, who underwent 4-vessel study, the angiographic and CT findings were compared. Ten patients were disclosed to have watershed infarction by CT. Seven of them had watershed processes in the centrum semiovale which were considered to be terminal infarction. Patients who showed watershed infarction under CT revealed inadequate circle of Willis and well-developed cortical anastomosis under angiography. Unilaterally accentuated cerebral atrophy, which we have called asymmetrical atrophy in this paper, was noted in 10 patients. The findings of asymmetrical cerebral atrophy sometimes resemble the changes secondary to old infarction. However, the changes in the lateral ventricle caused by asymmetrical cerebral atrophy are somewhat different from those resulting from old infarction. The angiographic findings suggested that asymmetrical cerebral atrophy is, in addition to being associated with incomplete circle of Willis, also associated with local circulatory disturbances which further decrease the regional cerebral blood flow in the affected hemisphere. (author)