Cervical carotid pseudoaneurysm: A carotid artery stenting complication

BACKGROUND: As carotid artery stenting becomes increasingly used, more complications are likely to occur. We present a case of Staphylococcus septicemia and pseudoaneurysm arising in the neck portion of the carotid artery after stenting. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 51-year-old man was admitted with mild left hemiparesis. CT and MRI showed right hemisphere ischemia. Duplex Scan and MRA showed bilateral severe stenosis of the carotid arteries in the neck. A percutaneous angioplasty with stenting of the left carotid artery was performed. Two weeks after the procedure, he developed fever and swelling in the right leg and shoulder. An abscess, near where the groin had been punctured for the angioplasty was surgically drained. Blood samples were positive for S. aureus. After treatment the patient complained of a painful bulky pulsatile left cervical mass. Duplex scan and MRA showed a pseudoaneurysm of the left carotid artery. We excised the pseudoaneurysm and rebuilt the carotid artery with a saphenous vein graft. The postoperative period was uneventful, and the MRA revealed a patent saphenous graft. CONCLUSION: Mycotic pseudoaneurysm of the carotid artery is a rare complication of percutaneous angioplasty and stenting. Surgical treatment with saphenous vein graft is the treatment of choice.