Common carotid artery injury caused by a camel bite: case report and systematic review of the literature.

A 25-year-old man was bitten in the neck by an aggressive camel, causing three small puncture wounds. The left carotid pulse of the patient was weakly palpated. Angiography showed irregular dissection of the distal part of the left common carotid artery. Neck exploration confirmed the findings. An interposition autogenous saphenous vein graft was performed successfully. The patient was discharged home in good condition. We have systematically reviewed the literature on this topic, and only four other similar cases were reported previously. Although camel bite wounds are small, they may penetrate deeply, causing serious injuries to the neck structures including the major vessels. Care should be taken when approaching male camels during the rutting season.