[Full-contact and dissecting aneurysm of the thrombosed left internal carotid artery associated with encephalomalacia].

Full-contact, a sport which is becoming more and more popular in our society as a means of self-defence, is not without its hazards. We describe the case of a 32-year-old man who, shortly after an intensive practice match, presented symptoms consistent with cerebral damage which resulted in his death within three days. The main pathological findings were confined to the left internal carotid artery, which presented a dissecting aneurysm as a result of rupture of its intima with thrombosis of its lumen. The thrombus extended as far as the intracranial portion of the artery, resulting in massive cerebral infarction as cause of death. Furthermore, there were histological modifications of both main carotid arteries and their branches which suggested repeated microtraumatic events. The causal relation between the lesions observed and the practice of full-contact are discussed.