Septic bleeding of the common carotid artery following total thyroidectomy: an atypical complication.

Septic rupture of the common carotid artery following total thyroidectomy may rapidly lead to exsanguination. We present a case report of a 16-year-old girl, diagnosed with a questionable thyroglossal duct cyst. Following the initial operative intervention with local excision of the cyst including resection of the medial part of the hyoid bone, pathology revealed papillary carcinoma.