Delayed recognition of a vascular complication, carotid artery aneurysm, 60 years after operation for muscular torticollis. A case report.

An extremely rare vascular complication, carotid artery aneurysm, developed 60 years after a torticollis operation. The patient's internal jugular vein was completely obstructed proximal to the subclavian vein. There was an associated incomplete obstruction of the ipsilateral common carotid artery on the right aspect of the neck--the site where resection of the whole sternocleidomastoid muscle had been performed when she was one year old. The patient had audible bruits over the right common carotid at the base of her neck but no signs of occlusive cerebrovascular disease. The diagnosis was made mainly with use of technetium radionuclide angiography. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first such report in the English or German literature.