Surgical treatment of extracranial carotid aneurysms

During the past 23 years, 12 patients with aneurysm of the carotid bifurcation were treated in our department. There were 11 men and one woman between 20 and 68 years (mean age 54.2 years). In as much as 217 patients were operated on for extracranial occlusive carotid disease during the same period, the incidence of these aneurysms in our series has been estimated to be 5%. Eleven patients presented with TIAs ipsilateral to the aneurysm. One patient presented with a painful pulsatile enlarging mass in the neck (ruptured aneurysm) without any neurological complications. Eleven patients underwent surgical repair. Ligation of the common carotid artery was done in one patient, resection of the aneurysm with end-to-end anastomosis was performed in 2 patients, aneurysmorraphy in 4, excision and reconstruction with reversed saphenous vein in one, excision and reconstruction with PTFE graft in one and 2 patients underwent endarterectomy and angioplasty of the carotid bifurcation. One patient with a high internal carotid artery aneurysm (base of the skull) was classified as nonoperable. There were no deaths or strokes postoperatively. Persistent cranial nerve injury was noted in 1 case (8%). Follow-up at 6 months - 10 years (mean 5.5 years) yielded and incidence of post-op TIAs of 8% attributed to intracranial occlusive disease. Surgical correction is the treatment of choice for extracranial carotid aneurysm and can be performed with a very low morbidity and mortality and carries excellent long-term results.