Endovascular thrombectomy and stenting in the management of carotid fibromuscular dysplasia presenting with major ischemic stroke

Abstract

Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) affecting the internal carotid artery (ICA) is considered a benign condition; however, retinal and cerebral ischemic events may occur. We present a patient with carotid FMD presenting with a major ischemic stroke due to major embolic occlusion of the ICA in conjunction with a hemodynamic component caused by narrowing and beading of the lumen associated with FMD. The patient was successfully treated with intracranial stent-assisted thrombectomy followed by cervical ICA stenting that aimed to reconstruct and angioplasty the FMD-affected arterial segment. Recently, stent-based thrombectomy has emerged as the most effective endovascular option for the rapid revascularization of major intracranial occlusions; however, to our knowledge, its use in a rare case of FMD-associated major stroke has not yet been reported.

Keywords: Carotid artery; Fibromuscular dysplasia; Ischemic stroke; Stent; Thrombectomy.