Pseudoaneurysm in internal maxillary artery after gunshot wound: Critical review and case report

INTRODUCTION: Pseudoaneurysm is a vascular injury typically caused by rupture of arteries with extravasation of blood. The involvement of this entity in facial arteries after firearm aggression is extremely rare, and they need treatment as early as possible, thus avoiding irreversible damage to patients. STUDY DESIGN: A 40-year-old male victim of gunshot attack with an entrance orifice in the right posterior cervical region with ascending trajectory, lodging in the ipsilateral zygomatic-orbitary complex, which was submitted to removal of the bone fragments and the bullet. In the intraoperative period, the patient developed profuse hemorrhage and, after complementary examinations, he was diagnosed with pseudoaneurysm of the internal maxillary artery, which was treated by selective endovascular embolization. RESULTS: The patient was hemodynamically stable, with no complaints and was discharged after 48 hours, without postoperative bleeding recurrences. He had no more complications after 8 months of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The main forms of treatment and diagnosis of vascular lesions are reviewed, and embolization is demonstrated as a technically safe procedure with few complications. Key words:Gunshot wound, pseudoaneurysm, maxillary artery, therapeutic embolization.