A Case of the Internal Carotid Artery Occlusion Immediately After Intravenous Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator Treatment for Contralateral Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion

Abstract

Early recurrent ischemic stroke (ERIS), as well as symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (SICH) and progressive stroke (PS), causes early neurological deterioration. Here we report a case of a patient with right internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion immediately after intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) treatment for left middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion. A 79-year-old woman with drowsiness, aphasia and right hemiparesis was brought to our hospital. MRI showed acute infarction in the left internal capsule and occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery. rt-PA was administered intravenously to the patient 2 hours after the onset of the event. Her consciousness disturbance and aphasia improved, but the right hemiparesis did not. We performed emergent endovascular thrombectomy, but the right ICA (cervical portion) was occluded during the surgery. Finally, the endovascular thrombectomy achieved the recanalization of the left MCA and right ICA. When performing intravenous thrombolysis, we should beware the possibility of re-occlusion and prepare for interventional treatment.