Carotid blowout with infection: management with endovascular and open vascular approaches--a case report.

The management of patients with head and neck cancer can be complicated by massive carotid artery hemorrhage, often requiring ligation owing to the emergent conditions and scarring from previous surgery and radiation. A case of emergent endovascular management of carotid artery hemorrhage in a patient treated for pharyngeal carcinoma is described. Hemorrhage was controlled, but on follow-up the patient developed a carotid-cutaneous fistula with exposure of the coils.

Endovascular exclusion of a postendarterectomy carotid pseudoaneurysm.

Carotid pseudoaneurysms are rare occurrences. They often result from trauma, but can also present following carotid endarterectomy. Treating such pseudoaneurysms can be difficult due to previous surgery and limited access to the high internal carotid artery.