Extracranial Internal Carotid Artery Mycotic Aneurysm: A Case Report

Mycotic aneurysms of the extracranial carotid arteries (MCAs) are extremely rare. They usually appear as an enlarging pulsatile neck mass with no specific signs and symptoms, and they can lead to severe morbidity and mortality if left untreated. We report a case of a saccular thrombosed MCA in a 68-year-old man, presented as a non-pulsatile enlarging mass. The patient did not have any clinical signs of infection, and he was treated with resection of the MCA and synthetic patch reconstruction of the carotid bifurcation. Postoperative microbial cultures revealed Streptococcus parasanguinis. We review and discuss the literature regarding the clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment options of MCAs.