Pseudoaneurysm of the external carotid artery following parotitis: a case report

Abstract

Pseudoaneurysms of the external carotid artery of nontraumatic causes are very rare; those of infectious causes in adults are also quite unusual and are often preceded by bacteremia. Infection-related cases such as the one described here are scarce in the literature since the complication is not often calculated or expected. We present a case report of an elderly female patient who, after dental treatment and parotitis, noticed a mass behind the right mandible. After examination, the case was diagnosed as a pseudoaneurysm of the external carotid artery of an infectious cause. Management could be by surgical intervention, but the high positioning of the pseudoaneurysm and the age of the patient were contraindications. The choice was made to avoid surgery and keep the patient under long-term follow-up; no increase in its mass was observed after 3 years of follow-up.