Internal Carotid Artery Floating Thrombus in Relapsing Polychondritis

We present a 52‐year‐old man without any known risk factors for stroke, treated with prednisone and azathioprine for relapsing polychondritis, who presented a minor left hemisphere stroke. Ultrasound of the neck vessels revealed an isoechogenic thrombus in the left internal carotid artery superimposed on a smooth moderately stenosing isoechogenic atheroma of the carotid bulb. The patient was treated with high‐dose tinzaparin and was followed with serial ultrasound. After 16 days, the thrombus demonstrated a hypoechogenic core surrounded by a hyperechogenic rim and the following day it resolved completely. Thrombus formation on a small unruptured plaque may reflect involvement by relapsing polychondritis of the intimal proteoglycans that hold a role in the development of atheromatosis.
Source: Journal of Neuroimaging - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Case Report Source Type: research