Pseudoaneurysm of the internal carotid artery: Treatment with a covered stent

Dissection of the cervical segment of the internal carotid artery may occur spontaneously or after trauma. We report the management of a 53-year-old r ight-handed man with progressive dizziness and neck pain 6 weeks after a mo tor vehicle collision. The clinical and neurologic examinations were normal . The CT scan led to the diagnosis of a pseudoaneurysm of the right interna l carotid artery near the skull base. We successfully treated this post-tra umatic lesion with a covered stent. The patient underwent the endovascular procedure under general anesthesia and transcranial Doppler monitoring. No neurologic event was observed. Obliteration of the pseudoaneurysm with pres ervation of the carotid artery was achieved. The patient was discharged fro m the hospital 72 hr later with no complications. Clinical and imaging foll ow-up at 6 months was unremarkable.