Transient Occlusion of the Middle Cerebral Artery

Abstract

Four patients with arteriographically demonstrated occlusion of the main trunk of the middle cerebral artery were found, by subsequent arteriograms or postmortem examination, to have middle cerebral artery patency. Similar cases have been reported in the literature. The frequency of vessel patency after apparent occlusion is undetermined; its pathogenesis is not well understood. The finding of a patent vessel after previous angiographically demonstrated occlusion cannot be used as definite evidence of a beneficial effect from thrombolytic or other therapies.