Compliant balloon angioplasty for the treatment of internal carotid artery dissection.

This report describes the innovative management of a severe haemodynamic stroke related to an occlusive extracranial internal carotid artery dissection. Intravenous thrombolysis combined with endovascular treatment were undertaken on the basis of a total mismatch profile (National Institutes of Health stroke scale (NIHSS) score of 27 and infarct volume on diffusion-weighted imaging of 0 mL). Balloon angioplasty using a long and compliant balloon microcatheter allowed complete recovery of the intracranial blood flow. The patient showed dramatic clinical improvement (day 1, NIHSS 5) and favourable functional outcome (day 90, modified Rankin scale score 2). Day 90 follow-up brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed no ischaemic change and magnetic resonance angiography assessed the patency of the internal carotid artery.