[Unilateral agenesis of the internal carotid artery in childhood: description of a case].

INTRODUCTION

Unilateral or bilateral agenesis of the internal carotid artery has not often been described in children since it is usually asymptomatic.

CLINICAL CASE: We describe a case of isolated unilateral agenesis of the internal carotid artery in a child of 20 months old who presented with two episodes of status convulsives, the first after a head injury and the second when he was febrile. The anomaly was a casual finding, diagnosed on cerebral magnetic resonance when there was no signal corresponding to carotid blood flow. It was confirmed by echography-doppler and angiographic magnetic resonance. We also describe the neuro-radiological findings which led to the diagnosis of this anomaly.

CONCLUSIONS

We consider that unilateral agenesis of the carotid artery was a casual finding in this case. The provisional diagnosis may be made when there is absence of vascular signals on conventional magnetic resonance.