[Surgical management of extracranial carotid artery aneurysm].

OBJECTIVE

Aneurysm of the extracranial carotid artery is rare. The embolic risk mandates prompt intervention once diagnosed. The aim of this study was to determine therapeutic techniques, their indications and outcomes.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

We report a series of ten patients who underwent surgery for extracranial carotid artery aneurysm in the cardiovascular surgery department of La Rabta hospital.

RESULTS

There were six men and four women, mean age 43 years. All patients were symptomatic (swelling and pulsatile cervical mass). Two patients had dysphonia and one patient underwent an emergency procedure because of aneurismal rupture. Aneurismal excision was performed in most patients. The arterial reconstruction was performed by end-to-end anastomosis in four cases, interposition of an autologous venous graft in four, interposition of a prosthetic graft in one and suture of a small rent in the artery in one. There was no postoperative mortality. Early postoperative morbidity included one recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, one hypoglossal nerve injury, one stroke and one infection with thrombosis of a prosthetic graft. The follow-up was uneventful.

CONCLUSION

Surgical treatment of extracranial carotid aneurysms is required, in most cases with good results. Endovascular treatment may be an effective therapy in selected cases.