Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with brain stroke after carotid artery surgery seen on MRI
By Komornik, Lukas et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2020·Department of Small Animal Surgery·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Striate Artery Infarct After Bilateral Carotid Artery Ligation (BCAL) in a Dog: A Multimodal MRI Study.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old male border collie suddenly showed signs of neurological problems, like confusion and difficulty moving, five days after undergoing a surgery to tie off both carotid arteries, which is sometimes done to stop severe bleeding. An MRI scan revealed that he had a small area of dead brain tissue (an ischemic infarct) due to reduced blood flow in the brain. This complication can occur after the surgery, but the good news is that the dog's body was already starting to develop new blood vessels to help supply the brain. It's important for pet owners to be aware of these potential risks after such procedures.
People also search for: dog neurological problems after surgery · border collie carotid artery ligation risks · dog brain injury treatment
Abstract
Bilateral carotid artery ligation has been reported as a lifesaving procedure to control severe hemorrhage. However, reports are sparse and little information is available regarding the potential risks associated with this procedure. We report an ischemic brain infarct as a complication after vascular surgery. A 3-year old, male intact border collie was presented for acute onset of forebrain signs 5 days after bilateral carotid artery ligation. Multimodal brain MRI including morphologic sequences, MR angiography, diffusion- and perfusion-weighted images were performed. MRI revealed a well-defined intra-axial lesion of the left caudate nucleus, with increased T2 and decreased T1 signal intensity and moderate heterogeneous peripheral contrast enhancement. The cerebral blood flow was reduced relative to the contralateral caudate nucleus. Images were consistent with a subacute lacunar ischemic infarct of the left striate artery. Additionally, multiple arterio-arterial anastomosis arising from the vertebral arteries were visible in the angiography sequences. Ischemic infarct due to thromboembolism should be considered as a possible complication associated with bilateral carotid artery ligation. Collateral blood supply can develop as early as 5 days after surgery.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33195593/