Superficial temporal artery aneurysm: Diagnosis and treatment options.

Background: Superficial temporal artery (STA) aneurysms are an uncommon entity and mostly described in case studies. The purpose of this review was to show the studied clinical presentation, diagnostic modalities, and treatment modalities of STA aneurysms.

Methods: A review was performed of reports on STA aneurysms published until December 2010, using the MEDLINE and Cochrane databases.

Results: One hundred sixty-six pseudoaneurysms and 20 true aneurysms were described. The majority of patients presented with a painless pulsatile mass. Historically, angiography was most often used, but ultrasound scan, CT, and MRI may be superior. Surgical resection was performed in 128 pseudoaneurysms and 20 true aneurysms with 1 recurrence and few complications. Endovascular approaches were used in 13% of pseudoaneurysms with an 80% success rate.

Conclusion: Pseudoaneurysms are mostly the result of blunt trauma as opposed to true aneurysms which usually occur spontaneously. Surgical resection is a safe treatment modality, but endovascular treatment might be considered in a selected group of patients. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2013.