Stent repair of bilateral post-traumatic dissections of the internal carotid artery

PURPOSE To report endovascular repair of bilateral internal carotid arteries (ICAs) in a youth following an accident. CASE REPORT A 17-year-old boy presented with dissection of both ICAs after a motorcycle accident. The lesions started 2 cm above the bifurcation and continued upward to the siphon, with normal flow into the circle of Willis. Surgical repair was excluded due to the critical clinical condition of the patient and owing to the anatomical extent of the dissection. Carotid Wallstent endoprostheses were deployed bilaterally to repair the dissected segments of the ICAs. After 13 months, the patient is in good health, with complete patency of both arteries. CONCLUSIONS The good result we experienced in this case indicates that stents may be a safe and effective treatment for traumatic bilateral carotid dissections. However, the long-term durability of these devices in a young patient remains to be determined.