Internal carotid artery pseudoaneurysm related to pregnancy

Arterial rupture is a common cause of maternal death. The increased tendency of true and false aneurysms to develop or rupture with advancing gestational age suggests that hemodynamic, hormonal, or other physiologic changes of pregnancy may play a role in their formation. To our knowledge, pseudoaneurysm formation from a carotid dissection or a ruptured true aneurysm related to pregnancy has not been previously reported. We report the successful repair of a large extracranial internal carotid artery pseudoaneurysm related to pregnancy. The clinical presentation, diagnostic modalities, surgical exposure, and treatment options for high internal carotid artery aneurysms will be discussed.