A spontaneous true aneurysm of the superficial temporal artery treated by surgical resection

An aneurysm of the superficial temporary artery (STA) has a rarer occurrence than intracranial aneurysm. However, traumatic aneurysms of the STA are not unusual and have been reported about more than 400 cases. Most of these were pseudoaneurysms caused by blunt trauma because of the anatomical location of STA. In contrast, spontaneous or non-traumatic aneurysms of the STA are quite rare and only 8 cases of spontaneous true aneurysms in the STA have been reported. Herein, we report a case of a 77-year-old woman, who presented with a preauricular mass showing subacute enlargement over the previous two months. She had no history of head injury. Imaging studies demonstrated that the mass was a saccular type aneurysm accompanied by afferent and efferent vessels. The mass was resected under general anesthesia and there were no symptoms or signs of local circulatory deficiency, nor was there any interference with nerve function after the surgery. Pathological examination showed that the mass was a true aneurysm. The literature is reviewed and the management of the STA aneurysm is discussed.