Pseudoaneurysm from an aberrant internal carotid artery injury during tympanoplasty repaired with a pipeline embolization device: A rare case in a pediatric patient.

BACKGROUND

An aberrant internal carotid artery (ICA) is a rare anomaly that can be subject to iatrogenic injury during middle ear surgery. The management of this potentially fatal complication is not well-described in the pediatric otolaryngology literature. Herein, we describe our unique management of an extremely rare case of an aberrant ICA injury during a tympanoplasty procedure that was further complicated with the formation of a pseudoaneurysm.

CASE PRESENTATION: A 13-year-old female patient with a longstanding history of recurrent ear infections and conductive hearing loss underwent tympanoplasty for a perforated left tympanic membrane (TM). Dissection of a deep retraction pocket was performed to visualize the TM. A brisk, bright-red bleed was encountered from a posterior, aberrant ICA that ran adjacent to the handle of the malleus. The bleeding was controlled with packing and followed with cerebral angiography to confirm the aberrant ICA. A temporary balloon occlusion of the ICA was performed to allow for repair of the TM and achieve hemostasis. A pseudoaneurysm was identified and subsequently treated with the placement of a pipeline embolization device (PED). The patient's post-operative course was unremarkable with no evidence of stroke. She was followed up for a year with cerebral angiograms, which showed complete resolution of the pseudoaneurysm.

CONCLUSION

Injury to an aberrant ICA is a potentially devastating complication during middle ear surgery. We demonstrate timely packing, temporary balloon occlusion and PED placement as an appropriate strategy for managing this rare complication.