Mycotic cervical carotid artery aneurysms: A case report and review of the literature

Mycotic cervical carotid artery aneurysms are rare. We report one case successfully treated by resection and reconstruction with a saphenous vein interposition graft. A review of the English world literature revealed 22 additional cases. Principles of management include appropriate and timely antibiotic use, resection of the aneurysm, debridement of all infected tissue, and restoration of arterial continuity with autogenous tissue through uninvolved tissue planes.     

Mycotic aneurysm of the extracranial carotid artery: a case report and review of the literature

Aneurysm of the extracranial carotid artery is a rare condition; mycotic aneurysms are even less common. They always need surgical treatment to prevent possible rupture, embolisation or death. The literature before 1980 mentions ligation as the only treatment for mycotic aneurysms of the carotid artery, obviously with a high morbidity and mortality rate. We describe an 85-year-old male with a left carotid artery mycotic aneurysm. He presented with a history of Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA) four weeks after a gastrointestinal infection. Resection of the aneurysm and interposition with autologous vein was performed. Escherichia coli was isolated from the excised tissue. Primary resection of the aneurysm with autologous vein interposition, in association with prolonged antibiotic therapy, is the preferred strategy. Prompt diagnosis and aggressive treatment is essential to prevent serious complications.     

Mycotic aneurysms of the carotid arteries--case report and review of the literature

Mycotic aneurysms of the extracranial carotid arteries are rare. We report a new case with a mycotic aneurysm of the carotid bifurcation associated with acute bacterial endocarditis of the aortic valve. A concomitant treatment of both lesions was performed. Twenty-six cases of mycotic aneurysms of the extracranial carotid arteries have been reported in the literature. We present a review of all these cases.     

Mycotic aneurysm in a digital artery: case report and literature review

A mycotic aneurysm of the common digital artery at its junction with the palmar arch, extending into the ulnar proper digital artery of the index finger, is reported in a patient with endocarditis. A review of the English-language literature revealed no case of mycotic aneurysm in a digital artery. Diagnosis of the aneurysm was established noninvasively by ultrasound. Because this patient lacked a radial proper digital artery to the finger, the aneurysm was managed by excision and revascularization with a bypass graft from the long finger. Postoperative circulatory monitoring was facilitated by a pulse oximeter.     

Endovascular treatment for bilateral mycotic intracavernous carotid aneurysms. Case report and review of the literature

Bilateral mycotic aneurysms of the intracavernous segment of the internal carotid artery (ICA) are exceedingly rare. The authors present the case of a 46-year-old man with bilateral mycotic intracavernous carotid aneurysms, which were treated with a stent-assisted vessel wall remodeling technique with preservation of the parent arteries. The patient recovered quite satisfactorily after completing the whole course of treatment. Based on an extensive review of the literature, no reported case of bilateral mycotic aneurysm of the intracavernous segment of the ICA has been treated with this mode of endovascular therapy. This mode of treatment could be a therapeutic alternative for intracavernous mycotic aneurysms.     

Celiac artery aneurysms: a case report and review of the literature

Celiac artery aneurysms (CAA) are uncommon. Most are asymptomatic, but up to 20 per cent will present as surgical emergencies. We present a case of an asymptomatic CAA discovered in a 56-year-old male during evaluation for nephrolithiasis. Only rough estimates of the prevalence of CAA are available, ranging between 0.005 per cent and 0.05 per cent. There appears to be a slight male predominance, and atherosclerotic degeneration is the most common cause. Although most patients are asymptomatic, some will present with vague abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, or symptoms of mesenteric ischemia. Rupture is a devastating presentation, with reported mortality rates from 35 per cent to 80 per cent. Repair is performed by ligation or reconstruction. Ligation should be considered in an urgent setting, with reconstruction preferred for elective repair. Morbidity and mortality from elective repair should not exceed 5 per cent. Repair of CAA should be undertaken unless major comorbid factors are prohibitive.     

Bacterial aneurysms of the intracavernous carotid artery

Six cases of bacterial intracavernous carotid artery aneurysms of extravascular origin secondary to cavernous sinus thrombophlebitis are reported along with a review of 12 similar cases collected from the literature. Of the authors' six cases, there were three children and three adults. Meningitis was found in five patients. All patients received prolonged antibiotic therapy. Spontaneous resolution of the aneurysm occurred in one patient, thrombosis of the internal carotid artery in another, and progressive enlargement of the aneurysm was seen on sequential angiography in the other two. Evidence of associated arteritis was present in all of the patients. Carotid ligation for persistent ophthalmoplegia was carried out in two patients, of whom one had a giant aneurysm and the other progressive aneurysm enlargement. The results of treatment were good in all cases. The authors believe that carotid arteriography is obligatory in cases of cavernous sinus thrombophlebitis in which ophthalmoplegia persists despite adequate antibiotic therapy.     

True tibial artery aneurysms: case report and literature review

True tibial artery aneurysms are rare lesions. They may manifest themselves clinically either as a painful leg mass or as evidence of ischemic changes in the foot. Asymptomatic lesions may be found incidentally during arteriography. The need for surgical intervention should be individualized depending on the presentation; the type of surgical intervention is based on coexistent tibial artery anatomy. The present report describes a patient with a true tibial artery aneurysm. Clinical presentation, radiographic findings, and surgical management are described.     

A case of ruptured internal carotid artery "kissing aneurysms": case report and review of the literature

OBJECTIVE: A rare case of ruptured kissing aneurysms on the right internal carotid-posterior communicating artery (ICPCA) and -anterior choroidal artery (ICAchA) is reported. CASE: A 47-year-old female was transferred to our hospital because of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Cerebral angiography revealed two aneurysms on the right ICPCA and ICAchA. Right frontotemporal craniotomy was performed to obliterate them on the day of admission. Despite the presence of angiographical cleavage, these two aneurysms were attached to each other tightly, and it was extremely difficult to dissect the space between them and premature rupture occurred. A Sugita long straight clip was inserted parallel to internal carotid artery to obliterate the body of ICAchA aneurysm and the neck of ICPCA aneurysm. Another straight clip was applied to the neck of the former aneurysm. Both PCA and AchA could be secured successfully. Postoperatively, although she developed symptomatic vasospasm on the 10th day, she discharged without any neurological deficits 40 days later. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the difficulty in dissection of aneurysms, the operation for kissing aneurysms has been recognized as hazardous and challenging since Jefferson. We emphasize that a clipping technique described above should be kept in mind as a safe value, though meticulous dissection of each aneurysmal neck followed by independent neck clipping is reasonable.     

Suprasellar displacement of intracavernous internal carotid artery: case report

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: We present a previously undescribed variant of the cavernous internal carotid artery (ICA) and review the literature concerning other variants of the cavernous ICA. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: The patient, a 53-year-old woman with fibromuscular dysplasia and multiple intracranial aneurysms, underwent cerebral angiography in preparation for clipping of a terminal ICA bifurcation aneurysm that demonstrated a redundant loop of the cavernous ICA abutting the supraclinoid carotid artery. INTERVENTION: The patient underwent a pterional craniotomy to approach a terminal ICA bifurcation aneurysm. During the procedure, an unexpected vascular anomaly was discovered. On further dissection, we confirmed that the vascular abnormality was a segment of the ICA that had herniated through the superomedial cavernous sinus wall. CONCLUSION: This case demonstrates that the cavernous ICA may become dehiscent from the cavernous sinus wall and herniate into the suprasellar space. Knowledge and anticipation of anatomic variants of the cavernous carotid artery are essential to avoid inadvertent vascular injury during surgery.     

Giant splenic artery aneurysms: case report and review of the literature

Although splenic artery aneurysms (SAAs) are the most common visceral aneurysms, giant SAAs >10 cm in diameter have rarely been reported. We present the case of a 67-year-old asymptomatic man who was diagnosed with a 15-cm SAA in the absence of a clear etiologic factor. The patient underwent open surgical repair. A medial visceral rotation was performed to gain good vascular control and subsequently the aneurysm was ligated from within. A systematic review was carried out, allowing us to analyze 12 cases of giant SAAs >10 cm published to date. The difference in terms of demographics, clinical presentation, and arterial location between the giant SAA group and usual SAAs may indicate a different underlying physiopathology that remains unclear at this time.     

Inferior epigastric artery false aneurysms: review of the literature and case report.

A case report is presented of a IEA false aneurysm successfully embolized in a 50-year old man following a blunt abdominal injury. A literature review revealed another 15 cases. Most cases were iatrogenic (13/16) complicating abdominal wall procedures. Treatment options included open surgery (8 cases), percutaneous coil embolization (6), ultrasound guided thrombin injection or ultrasound guided compression (2). The selected treatment (surgical or non-surgical) was not affected by the size of the aneurysm (p=0.6) and was successful in all patients. However two of the non-surgically removed lesions (25%) remained unchanged in size for a long time causing discomfort. IEA false aneurysms represent an uncommon entity. Open surgery for IEA false aneurysms is easy and cheap. Endovascular approaches can lead to a long delay in resolution of the problem.     

Bilateral mycotic aneurysms of the intracavernous carotid artery

A rare case of bilateral intracavernous internal carotid artery aneurysms is presented. The clinical and laboratory data strongly suggested the mycotic nature of the aneurysms. Internal carotid artery ligation was performed because of clinical evidence of progressive enlargement of the right-sided aneurysm. The left-sided aneurysm was managed medically. It remained asymptomatic and, 14 months later, a control angiogram showed no significant change in its size and configuration.     

Combined hepatic and gastric artery aneurysms: a case report and review of the literature

A patient is presented who was successfully managed with metasynchronous rupture of a hepatic and a left gastric artery aneurysm. The subject of visceral artery, hepatic artery, and gastric artery aneurysms is reviewed. The role and limitations of modern interventional radiologic procedures in treating this entity is illustrated.     

Mycotic aneurysm of the carotid bifurcation in the neck: case report and review of the literature

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Mycotic aneurysms of the extracranial carotid artery are rare and difficult to diagnose. A search of the world literature published since 1966 reveals at least six cases of mycotic carotid aneurysms due to a Salmonella septicemia. We present an exceptional case of mycotic pseudoaneurysm of the bifurcation of the carotid artery due to Salmonella septicemia and discuss the pathogenesis as well as various aspects of the diagnosis and surgical management. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 68-year-old man presented in Poland with Salmonella sepsis; 1 month later, he was admitted to the emergency department of the Sir Mortimer B. Davis-Jewish General Hospital in Montreal with a bulky and pulsatile right cervical mass. An angiogram and a computed tomographic scan revealed a voluminous and partially thrombosed aneurysm the size of a tangerine originating from the posterior aspect of the carotid junction. INTERVENTION: Balloon trapping was attempted at the Montreal Neurological Hospital. Subsequently, the patient developed a significant neurological deficit, which was quickly reversed by the administration of hypertensive, hypervolemic, and hemodilution therapy. Thereafter, the pseudoaneurysm was resected surgically, and the internal and external carotid arteries were sacrificed. Pathological examination of the excised specimen of the carotid junction revealed a pseudoaneurysm. Bacterial culture of the lesion showed growth of Salmonella. CONCLUSION: The postoperative course was satisfactory except for laryngeal paralysis due to involvement of the vagus nerve. Four months later, a computed tomographic scan showed only small lacunae in both centra semiovale.     

Direct surgical treatment of intracavernous internal carotid artery aneurysms: report of four cases

The authors have operated directly on four cases of intracavernous internal carotid artery aneurysms by opening the cavernous sinus. Surgery was performed using a semisitting position, in which the upper half of the patient's body was elevated approximately 20 degrees from the horizontal plane. The superior wall of the cavernous sinus was opened through the pterional approach, and an aneurysmal neck clipping was successfully performed on three patients. A coating of the aneurysm was carried out on one patient. The results obtained were excellent in all cases. The authors believe that the operative technique reported is useful for surgical treatment of intracavernous lesions.     

Treatment of bilateral mycotic intracavernous carotid aneurysms. Case report

A case of bilateral mycotic intracavernous carotid aneurysms is reported. Because of progressive bilateral ophthalmoplegia, the internal carotid artery (ICA) was ligated on both sides, combined with bilateral extracranial-intracranial arterial bypass. A superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery anastomosis was performed first on the right side followed by ligation of the right ICA at the neck. After an interval of 20 days, a bypass and ICA ligation was carried out on the left side. The patient developed mild hemiparesis and dysphasia during and immediately after the second operation, but these neurological deficits disappeared after elevation of systemic blood pressure.