Flip-flop phenomenon and dissection of extracranial carotid artery.

A case of extracranial carotid artery dissection investigated both by conventional brain imaging and by arteriography is presented. The radionuclide angiogram showed a flip-flop phenomenon on the left hemisphere. The implications, including clinical features, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment are discussed. Dissection of extracranial carotid artery is a cause of carotid hypoactivity, and this phenomenon is associated directly with a flip-flop phenomenon on brain imaging.