Abstract
Objective: We report a case of successful thrombus aspiration using a balloon guide catheter for brachial artery occlusion.
Case Presentation: The patient was a 71-year-old man with a history of cardiogenic cerebral embolism who was taking apixaban. He was examined for numbness of the left upper limb and was found to have a National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score of 3. Intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) therapy and mechanical thrombectomy were considered. Although an embolic cerebral infarction was found in the right occipital lobe, the imaging findings did not explain his symptoms. The left brachial artery was not palpable, which indicated an embolus in an upper extremity vessel. Proximal occlusion of the left brachial artery was diagnosed through angiography. Thrombus aspiration with a balloon-guided catheter was used to achieve recanalization.
Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first report to describe the successful treatment of brachial artery occlusion using suction with a balloon-guided catheter. It may be possible to quickly perform catheterization in cases of stroke mimics if the patients are brought to facilities equipped for mechanical thrombectomy.
