Abstract
Small infarction in the deep brain is well known by the term lacunar infarct. Among these infarcts, the relatively larger ones localized in the internal capsule and adjacent basal ganglia are designated as capsular infarct or striatocapsular infarction. Their pathogenesis has been mainly attributed to the occlusive lesion of a single penetrating artery as well as the usual lacunae. The authors recently encountered 2 cases of capsular infarct, in whom complete occlusion of the internal carotid artery was angiographically demonstrated. These cases suggest that the extracranial carotid occlusion may also be implicated in the pathogenesis of capsular infarct. The authors present these 2 cases in this communication with possible explanations for the mechanism by which carotid occlusive disease causes capsular infarct.
