We report an unusual case of a 53-year-old female presenting with symptoms of transient ischemic attack secondary to compression of the left internal carotid artery with mandible depression. Duplex ultrasound examination confirmed compression of the left internal carotid artery with mouth opening. Normally, the posterior belly of the digastric muscle contracts to induce mandible depression and opens the mouth; however, this muscle contraction motion caused compression on her internal carotid artery resulting in her symptoms.
ThanviBRobinsonT.Complete occlusion of extracranial internal carotid artery: clinical features, pathophysiology, diagnosis and management. Postgrad Med J. 2007;83:95-99. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2805948/.
