Rinsho Shinkeigaku (Clinical Neurology)

Case Report

A case of carotidynia with carotid sinus hypersensitivity

Shoichiro Sato, M.D., Yukako Yazawa, M.D., Ryo Itabashi, M.D., Kenichi Tsukika, M.D. and Eisuke Furui, M.D.

Department of Stroke Neurology, Kohnan Hospital

A 71-year-old man presented with acute, right-sided neck pain and marked falls in blood pressure in response to cervical extension/rotation. Enhanced CT of the right carotid artery showed wall thickening and soft tissue enhancement surrounding the vessel. Ultrasonography demonstrated wall thickening and marked acceleration of the blood flow velocity. [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron-emission tomography (PET)-CT revealed increased FDG activity in the area of the right carotid bulb. The patient's symptoms resolved in 2 weeks with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug; regression of wall thickening and decreased velocity were observed on follow-up ultrasonography. A carotid inflammatory process due to carotidynia in addition to atherosclerosis may increase carotid sinus baroreceptor stimulation, resulting in the onset of carotid sinus hypersensitivity.
Full Text of this Article in Japanese PDF (742K)

(CLINICA NEUROL, 50: 714|717, 2010)
key words: Carotidynia, Carotid sinus hypersensitivity, Carotid artery stenosis, Carotid ultrasonography

(Received: 1-Jul-10)