Giant cell arteritis as a cause of extracranial internal carotid artery aneurysm: a case report

This report presents the management of patient with extracranial internal carotid artery pseudoaneurysm due to giant cell arteritis.

Left internal carotid artery pseudoaneurysm was diagnosed in a 57-year-old Ukrainian woman, which became a direct indication for surgical treatment involving aneurysm resection and internal carotid artery reimplantation. The used reconstruction technique with oblique cutting of internal carotid artery, aneurysm resection, ellipse-form anastomosis formation, and distal intima fixation prevents the dissection, restenosis, and aneurysm of anastomosis in the long-term postoperative period. Histopathological examination revealed the giant cell arteritis of the internal carotid artery.

This case emphasizes the importance of open surgical treatment of extracranial carotid artery aneurysms, which allows to perform optimal carotid artery reconstruction and also define the rare etiology of disease.