Persistence of the stapedial artery in a first arch anomaly: a case report

This is a case report of a three month old girl with a unilateral facial dysplasia in whom the rudiments of external auditory organs were displaced towards the zygomatic region. The carotid arteriography demonstrated a persistent stapedial artery and absence of some branches of the external carotid artery (the middle meningeal artery and the superficial temporal artery). The autopsy study, undertaken at six months of age, confirmed the presence of the vascular anomaly and severe defects in the auditory organ. There was nerve tissue in the facial mass. This is the first reported case in which an association of a unilateral first arch anomaly and persistent stapedial artery has been confirmed by arteriography.