[Injuries of the intracranial part of the carotid artery].

The objective of the submitted work was to draw attention to different types of injuries of the intracranial portion of the carotid artery and some problems associated with its solution. The investigated group comprised 7 subjects (2 women, 5 men) aged 19 to 76 years who attended between Jan. 1, 1995 and Feb. 29 2000 the Neurosurgical Clinic in Kosice with sequelae of injuries of the intracranial carotid artery. Two patients developed a pseudoaneurysm. In one case it was manifested by subarachnoid haemorrhage on the 24th day after a crash, in one instance by diplopia six weeks after a retrobulbar injection. Injury of the intracavernous portion of the artery was manifested in one instance by profuse epistaxis on the 17th day after a fall from a bicycle, four times by the development of a carotid-cavernous fistula several days to 3 years after the head injury. In the diagnosis classical as well as MR and digital subtraction angiography were used. In the patient with epistaxis classical carotid angiography was 3 times negative. The results are comparable with data in the literature. In three patients the problem was resolved by ligature of the common carotid artery on the neck. In another three it was necessary to use extra-intracranial trapping. One patient will be subjected to endovascular surgery. Two patients died (a 76-year-old woman from bronchopneumonia, a 19-year-old man from meningitis, despite a liquor fistula treated correctly by a patch).