Spontaneous Recanalization after Complete Occlusion of the Common Carotid Artery with Subsequent Embolic Ischemic Stroke

Acute carotid artery occlusion carries a high morbidity and mortality. Acute angioplasty and stenting is a feasible option with little known about the long term outcome. Limiting factor for this approach is hyperperfusion syndrome or hemorrhagic infarction. Spontaneous early or late recanalization for extracranial vessel is in the range of 5% –30%, with no well defined clinical outcome data. We describe a case of spontaneous common carotid recanalization.