Internal carotid artery transposition as risk factor in pharyngeal surgery.

Objective/hypothesis: Injuries to the internal carotid artery during simple pharyngeal surgical procedures can be catastrophic for the risk of massive bleeding. The aims of the study were 1) to report five cases of congenital and asymptomatic anomalies of the internal carotid artery with a review of the literature, 2) to assess the relationships between these anomalies and the possible risk in "routine" pharyngeal surgery, and 3) to determine the most accurate imaging techniques to evaluate these anomalies.

Study Design: Retrospective study of five patients with congenital anomalies of the internal carotid artery bulging the pharyngeal wall.