Agenesis of the internal carotid artery

Abstract Agenesis of the internal carotid artery is a rare anomaly. It is usually asymptomatic because of the presence of anastomoses, but it can be associated with complications, especially when there is evidence of other anatomical abnormalities or severe atherosclerotic disease. We report the case of a 63-year-old female patient with hypertension and diabetes and a history of intracranial aneurysm clipping. Doppler ultrasonography and computed tomography angiography of the carotid and vertebral arteries showed unilateral agenesis of the left internal carotid artery. This report aims to highlight the importance of suspecting vascular malformations during investigation of neurological conditions. Internal carotid agenesis has a significant association with intracranial aneurysms and their early detection can spare the patient serious complications.

摘要：颈内动脉发育不全（agenesis of the internal carotid artery）是一种罕见的血管解剖异常。该病通常因侧支循环的建立而无明显临床症状，但可伴随多种并发症，尤其当合并其他解剖结构异常或存在严重动脉粥样硬化性疾病时，并发症风险显著升高。本文报告1例63岁女性患者，该患者患有高血压、糖尿病，既往有颅内动脉瘤夹闭术史。经颈动脉及椎动脉多普勒超声（Doppler ultrasonography）、计算机断层血管造影（computed tomography angiography，CTA）检查，确诊为左侧颈内动脉单侧发育不全。本病例报告旨在强调，在神经系统疾病的诊疗过程中，需重视血管畸形的排查。颈内动脉发育不全与颅内动脉瘤存在显著相关性，早期检出可有效避免患者发生严重并发症。