Aneurysm of the extracranial carotid artery

Aneurysms of the extracranial carotid artery are rare vascular lesions. These aneurysms usually present to the otolaryngologist or vascular surgeon as a cervical or parapharyngeal pulsatile mass. Rupture and hemorrhage are unusual complications. Central nervous system symptoms secondary to embolism or thrombosis, however, are relatively common. Because of these serious complications, surgical resection of the aneurysm with restoration of arterial continuity is the treatment of choice. We describe herein three cases of the extracranial carotid aneurysm treated at the Mie University Hospital, Tsu, Japan, in the past two years. Surgical treatments include end-to-end anastomosis, saphenous vein autograft replacement, and direct closure utilizing an internal shunt, respectively, after resection of the aneurysm. In all patients, the postoperative course was uneventful, and angiography six weeks after the operation demonstrated good blood flow through the repaired artery.