Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Therapy

Postraumatic Pseudoaneurysm of Common Carotid Artery After Penetrating Trauma : Diagnosis and Surgical Management

According to carotid pathology, we found carotid pseudoaneurysms, which occur in 13% of all carotid injuries. Carotid pseudoaneurysms are considered extremely rare when they are caused by blunt or penetrating trauma, being caused commonly after surgical interventions like carotid endarterectomy. Extensive cervical exposure and the risk of near structure lesions makes the surgical treatment of carotid pseudoaneurysms complex, indeed, cranial nerves lesions are the principal concern as surgical failure.

Methods

We present the case of a 20-year-old man who, after being treated for damage control due to a gunshot penetrating trauma at cervical level, it presents a pulsating mass that increases in the cervical region accompanied by a progressive dysphonia. The diagnosis was made initially with Doppler ultrasonography and confirmed with selective angiography of carotid artery.

Results

We proceeded to control of carotid vessels and resection of pseudoaneurysm and reconstruction with autologous vein patch. We did not use shunt. There were no complications and the patients discharge was in 2 days.

Conclusion

Although open surgery includes a high complexity procedure, it is the treatment of choice in these cases of posttraumatic pseudoaneurysms, endovascular treatment could be an alternative in the therapeutic arsenal, but at the moment, its role in this type of etiologies is not clarified.

Author(s):

Encalada Palacios Juan, Ojeda Oscar , Barrera Arce David

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