During extracorporeal life support (ECLS) in infants, cannulation of the right common carotid artery may result in a devastating ischaemic neurological injury. Herein, we present a case of an infant who encountered bilateral cerebral infarction during ECLS via the right carotid artery due to a rare and tragic anomaly of the circle of Willis. The magnetic resonance angiography complemented computed tomography in diagnosing the infarction and identifying this unique anatomy.
Keywords: Circle of Willis; Extracorporeal life support; Stroke.
© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.