Infrahyoid wandering carotid arteries

Knowledge of retropharyngeal carotid arteries in patients is important in order to avoid potential catastrophic injuries. Previous studies demonstrated that carotid arteries can change in position at or near the level of the hyoid bone on serial scans. We report the presence of wandering carotid arteries at the level of the cricoid cartilage and superiorly in the neck of a 74-year-old female patient over multiple months. The potential for carotid arteries to randomly change positions in the suprahyoid and infrahyoid neck should be known by clinicians to avoid misdiagnosing occult neck masses and to avoid potential arterial injury during neck surgery. Although the exact etiology for wandering carotid arteries remains uncertain, we propose that reduced axial tension on carotid arteries and increased body mass Index may play a causative role.