Usefulness of catheter angiography in the evaluation of common carotid artery origin occlusion.

Currently, catheter angiography is seldom used to evaluate occlusive cervical carotid disease after stroke. Despite the use of a variety of noninvasive tests, only cerebral angiography could document both carotid bifurcation patency and anterograde flow of the internal carotid artery intracranially in two patients with common carotid artery origin occlusion. These findings significantly influenced each patient's treatment. Common carotid artery origin occlusion represents one potential indication for catheter angiography.