Abstract
Iatrogenic carotid pseudoaneurysms are rare, but they can cause serious complications. We present a case of an extracranial cervical carotid artery pseudoaneurysm caused by central venous catheterization treated by surgical interposition using a synthetic graft.
A 73-year-old man had an emergency abdominal operation during which his left internal carotid artery was injured by central venous catheterization. He presented hoarseness 1 month after the operation and a left internal carotid artery pseudoaneurysm (18×16×16 mm) was revealed. Direct surgery was performed. The pseudoaneurysm and the internal carotid artery were repaired using a synthetic graft (Gore-tex ePTFE graft). The postoperative course was uneventful and MRI showed no new intracranial lesion. A follow-up MRA and echogram showed the patency of the graft.
We showed that surgical treatment with a synthetic graft (Gore-tex ePTFE graft) can be considered the treatment of choice for carotid pseudoaneurysms.