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Updated: Feb 19, 2026

Minimal Invasive Resection of Large Retrosternal Thyroid Goiter
Published on: September 20, 2024
Profuse bleeding from a pseudoaneurysm of the right superior thyroid artery after tracheostomy
Koichi Tanaka1, Naoto Tachibana1, Hirokazu Sato1
1Advanced Emergency and Critical Care Center Ehime Prefectural Central Hospital Matsuyama Ehime Japan.
Case:
A 70-year-old man was brought to our hospital emergency department with accidental thermal burns. Surgical tracheostomy was carried out on day 8 after admission, followed by several profuse bleeding episodes from the orifice. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the neck revealed a small nodule with arterial phase enhancement that was suspected to be a pseudoaneurysm. During emergency angiography, the nodule was revealed to be a pseudoaneurysm arising from the right superior thyroid artery with contrast medium extravasation.
Outcome:
The patient underwent transcatheter arterial embolization, which resolved bleeding from the tracheostomy orifice.
Conclusion:
Pseudoaneurysm of the superior thyroid artery is an extremely rare and life-threatening tracheostomy complication. All clinicians certified to perform tracheostomy should be acquainted with the various complications and methods for managing life-threatening post-tracheostomy complications.
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