Carotid artery stent infection with Streptococcus agalactiae

Carotid artery stent infection with Streptococcus agalactiae An afebrile 88-year-old man with a right internal carotid artery stent inserted 2 years previously in October 2006 presented acutely with right side visual loss and neck mass.CT angiogram showed contrast extravasation surrounding the stent (figure) and a large infected hematoma encapsulating the right common and internal carotid artery.Streptococcus agalactiae was cultured from the surgically excised carotid artery tissue and right eye vitreous fluid.Carotid artery stent infection has been reported following neck irradiation. 1 Carotid artery stent infection usually occurs after carotid artery wall injury; our case did not have an apparent injury, although we cannot rule this out.