Internal Carotid Artery Thrombosis Presenting as Catatonic Stupor—case Report

Catatonic stupor is a condition characterized by generalised inhibition of motor activities where sensibilities are impaired and the individual has little or no appreciation of his surroundings. Fisher (1954) reported eight cases of carotid occlusion who presented initially as dementia. He concluded that the association of dementia and carotid occlusion in these cases may be entirely fortuitous, and care must be exercised in drawing conclusions. It is to be recalled that in several instances occlusion or severe stenosis was found without any sign of mental deterioration. Only further regular examination of the carotid system in cases with and without dementia will allow a final judgement in this matter. Hurwitz et al. (1959) has also reported the same type of cases but he considered the impai • red mentation as a prodromal symptom of internal carotid artery occlusion. Recently we came across one Mich patient who presented with features of catatonic stupor and after investigations she turned out to be a case of internal carotid artery occlusion.