Carotid transposition: another cause of wide retropharyngeal soft tissues

The purpose of this original report is to describe medial transposition of the common carotid arteries. This transposition may produce wide retropharyngeal soft tissues on lateral cervical radiographs.

When common carotid arteries are transposed from their normal lateral positions into the retropharyngeal soft tissues, if vascular calcifications are present, this carotid abnormality is easily recognized on plain radiographs. Radiologists and clinical physicians should be aware that vascular transposition may be a benign cause of widening of the retropharyngeal soft tissues.