Persistent hypoglossal artery detected incidentally in a hypertensive patient with intracerebral hemorrhage: a case report and review of the literature

A 73-year-old woman with a history of chronic hypertension admitted to our clinic with complaint of acute paresis in her left arm. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging were performed to the patient which displayed intracerebral hemorrhage in the right parieto-occipital lobe. Further review of the computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scan showed an enlarged left hypoglossal canal with a large vessel passing through it. The patient was thereafter examined with cerebral digital subtraction angiography to determine the cause of hemorrhage, but no vascular etiology was demonstrated, except from a persistent hypoglossal artery. We present a rare case of persistent hypoglossal artery, which we detected incidentally during angiographic evaluation, with a review of the literature.