Covered Stent–Assisted Open Surgery in the Treatment of an Extracranial Carotid Artery Pseudoaneurysm

Abstract

Extracranial carotid artery pseudoaneurysms (ECAPs) are rare vascular lesions that, if untreated, can lead to severe neurologic deficits and significant mortality. Although conservative therapy, surgical ligation or reconstruction, and endovascular techniques can be curative, the literature demonstrates that the best therapy remains controversial and consensus is lacking. We report a case of a 53-year-old patient who developed a giant ECAP on the left side of her neck, which had been presented for 10years and was successfully treated by covered stent-assisted open surgery. During the 6months of follow-up, computed tomography angiography confirmed complete occlusion of the ECAP and patency of the carotid artery. In addition to this report, a brief review of the literature is presented.