The isolated posttraumatic aneurysm of the brachiocephalic artery after blunt thoracic contusion

Most supra-aortic aneurysms are localized in the extracranial carotid and subclavian artery. Aneurysms of the brachiocephalic artery (BCA) represent a rather rare finding. Chronic arteriosclerotic changes are responsible for the majority of cases. Posttraumatic BCA damage is only occasionally encountered, complete vascular dissection by perforating injuries being the dominant causative mechanism. Although isolated BCA trauma after blunt thoracic contusion is rare, brachiocephalic injury in association with aortic lesions seems to be the second most common site of vascular injury after the aorta. Cases of isolated blunt BCA trauma documented in the literature to date usually involved a complete avulsion of the artery from the aortic arch or complete rupture near the aortic origin. We present an isolated case of posttraumatic BCA aneurysm in a woman involved in a car accident who suffered blunt chest trauma with a subtotal, near circumferential vessel wall dissection of only the intima and media. Clinical features, diagnostic procedure, surgical treatment, and trauma mechanisms of postcontusional BCA lesions are described and discussed in reference to the literature.