Post-traumatic pseudoaneurysm of the internal maxillary artery

Three patients with internal maxillary artery pseudoaneurysms have been reported in the literature. All had antecedent trauma and presented with persistent, painful lateral facial swelling. The diagnosis was established by carotid arteriography. In the patient reported here, a pseudoaneurysm occurred 17 days after gunshot wounds to the back of the neck, and was successfully treated with balloon embolization. Although the lesion can be treated surgically, transvascular embolization appears to be a safer and equally effective mode of therapy.