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Case Report Open Access

Hypoplastic Internal Carotid Artery in a Young Stroke Patient

  • 1Khyber Teaching Hospital/Khyber Medical College Peshawar, Pakistan
  • 2Washington University Hospital, Washington DC, USA
+ Affiliations - Affiliations

Corresponding Author

Muhammad Osama, mdosamaa1999@gmail.com

Received Date: August 08, 2025

Accepted Date: October 29, 2025

Abstract

Background: Hypoplastic internal carotid artery (HICA) is a rare congenital vascular anomaly, typically asymptomatic due to collateral circulation. However, in certain cases, it may present with ischemic stroke.

Case Presentation: We report a 17-year-old male with a history of smoking and illicit drug use who presented with acute left-sided weakness. Imaging revealed an infarct in the right middle cerebral artery territory and a hypoplastic right internal carotid artery.

Conclusion: This case highlights the importance of considering congenital vascular anomalies in young stroke patients and underscores the role of advanced neuroimaging in diagnosis.

Keywords

Acute stroke, Cocaine, Hypoplastic internal carotid artery (HICA)

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