Carotid web leads to new thrombus formation: computational fluid dynamic analysis coupled with histological evidence.

Abstract

Carotid web has been recognized as a rare cause of ischemic stroke with high recurrence rate. We describe a 48-year-old woman with carotid web who developed embolic stroke. We obtained a fresh thrombus from the internal carotid artery when carotid endarterectomy was performed. A preoperative computational fluid dynamics (CFD) study showed stagnation of blood around the web structure as well as the low wall shear stress. The rheological analysis newly disclosed mechanisms of thrombus formation related to the carotid web. CFD study in the carotid web may determine indication and timing of surgical interventions with further accumulation of clinical evidence.