Fulminant post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage caused by aberrant course of the external carotid artery

Abstract

Haemorrhage, throat pain and otalgia are common complications following tonsillectomy. Haemorrhage is rarely life-threatening but in this paper we describe a fulminant secondary haemorrhage due to an aberrant external carotid artery in an eight-year-old boy. Acute surgical intervention with ligation of the external carotid artery was needed to control the bleeding.