[A case report of thoracic aortic and common carotid artery dissecting aneurysm diagnosed by duplex ultrasound examination].

A 61-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of sudden consciousness disturbance, aphasia and right-side hemiparesis. On admission his blood pressure was 124/74mmHg, and his pulse was a regular rate of 46 beats per minute. Electrocardiogram was normal. Thirty minutes after the onset brain computed tomographic (CT) scan showed no abnormality. Fifty minutes after the onset cervical ultrasound examination with color-coded Doppler demonstrated a subintimal dissection with a false channel of the left common carotid artery. Eighty minutes after the onset thoracic CT scan demonstrated the false lumen in ascending and descending thoracic aortic artery. Cervical CT scan showed a dissection with a false channel of the left common carotid artery. We could diagnose him as cerebral infarction due to thoracic aortic and common carotid artery dissection by means of ultrasound examination within 80 minutes after the onset. He spontaneously and fully recovered three days later. We emphasize the usefulness of noninvasive technique such as cervical ultrasound examination with color-coded Doppler in the diagnosis and follow-up of common carotid artery dissection.