CAROTID FLOATING PLAQUES ASSOCIATED WITH MULTIPLE CEREBRAL EMBOLIC STROKES - CASE-REPORTS

The authors describe 2 patients with multiple cerebral infarcts and he morrhagic transformation caused by artery-to-artery emboli. Ulcerated plaques with free-floating thrombus adherent to the plaque were detect ed at the carotid bifurcation by duplex sonography. No other embolic s ource could be found. One patient developed an occipital infarction du e to carotid emboli passing through a fetal-type posterior communicati ng artery. Both patients recovered well without recurrence of stroke o r transient ischemic attack with antiplatelet treatment only. Follow-u p carotid duplex sonography showed disappearance of floating thrombus in 1 patient and consolidation of the lesion in the other.