Several studies have suggested that non-stenotic carotid plaque was a risk factor for embolic stroke of undetermined source in some patients. However, individual backgrounds of these patients is unclear. We encountered a 64-years-old female with cerebral emboli, from an apparently stable non-stenotic carotid plaque (only 1.42mm thick) at the distal left common carotid artery, caused by violent tic movement of thyroid cartilage under well controlled dyslipidemia. Even though the plaque appeared thin and stable, mechanical stimulation could cause multiple, unnaturally localized emboli by stimulation-induced atherogenesis and plaque rupture, resulting in a misdiagnose of embolic stroke of undetermined source with non-stenotic carotid plaque.

几项研究表明，某些患者中非狭窄性颈动脉斑块是栓塞性卒中的来源不明的危险因素。但是，这些患者的个人背景尚不清楚。我们遇到了一位64岁的女性，患有脑栓塞，其原因是在控制良好的血脂异常的情况下，甲状腺软骨的剧烈抽动导致了在左颈总动脉远端出现明显稳定的非狭窄性颈动脉斑块（厚度仅为1.42mm）。即使斑块显得薄且稳定，机械刺激仍可能通过刺激诱导的动脉粥样硬化和斑块破裂而引起多个不自然的局部栓塞，从而导致对未确定来源的颈动脉斑块的栓塞性卒中的误诊。