[A case of multiple superficial temporal artery pseudoaneurysms following craniotomy]

A case of multiple superficial temporal artery (STA) pseudoaneurysms following craniotomy is reported and a review of the literature is made. The patient was a 17-year-old male who was hospitalized as he developed right hemiparesis 4 hours after golf ball injury to the left temporal region. He had been diagnosed as hemophilia A one year prior to the injury. CT scan showed right parietal intracranial hematoma with mass effect when he was submitted to emergency craniotomy. At surgery a linear scalp incision was made over the left temporal area after high factor VIII concentrates (con-VIII), 2,000 units, were administered. His postoperative course was uneventful and hemiparesis improved substantially, however two pulsatile masses along the incision scar over the scalp were noticed some 40 days after the hematoma removal. There was another pulsating mass in the left wrist where an arterial cannulation was made at the time of craniotomy. Selective angiograms showed two left STA pseudoaneurysms and left radial pseudoaneurysm was also demonstrated. The left STA was embolized with Gelfoam pieces through catheterization after administration of con-VIII, and the radial artery aneurysm was surgically resected. There was no evidence of recurrence of these lesions during the follow-up period of eight months. Among over 130 cases of STA pseudoaneurysms reported, there was no case with hemophilia and also no such a case described which developed after craniotomy on reviewing the literature. And it was proved that con-VIII has enabled a patient to tolerate embolization procedure through catheterization.