EXTRACRANIAL PENETRATING CAROTID-ARTERY INJURY (KING-KHALID-UNIVERSITY-HOSPITAL EXPERIENCE)

Acute and successful management of symptomatic penetrating carotid inj ury, which is a rare type of injury in our society,(1) requires proper identification of the injury and planned management. Pre-operative an giography avoids major unnecessary dissection and false negative explo rations.(2,3) Injuries were classified according to neck zones. Zone I was defined as the area below the top of the sternal notch, zone II b etween the angle of the mandible and top of the sternal notch and zone III as the region cephalad to the angle of the mandible. Selective ma nagement of penetrating neck injuries was advocated,(2,3) while some a uthors considered routine surgical exploration as the treatment of cho ice.(2,3).