Tortuous common carotid artery presenting as a pediatric submandibular neck mass
Received 14 January 2009; accepted 27 January 2009. published online 05 March 2009.
Summary
Aberrant common carotid artery anatomy is a rare cause of a lateral neck mass in pediatric patients. In this article we present the first reported case of a young boy presenting with a pulsatile submandibular mass due to an aberrant common carotid artery. Although there are many causes of carotid artery tortuosity, no specific syndrome or specific diagnosis associated with the arterial changes was ultimately assigned to this child. Though only conservative medical management was elected, this case illustrates the importance of considering abnormal carotid artery anatomy as a rare, but potential cause of neck mass in the pediatric patient.
aUniversity of Alberta, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Edmonton, AB, Canada
bDepartment of Surgery, Divisions of Pediatric Surgery and Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital and the Stollery Children's Hospital, Edmonton, AB, Canada
Corresponding author at: Stollery Children's Hospital, Divisions of Pediatric Surgery, 2C3.82 Walter C. Mackenzie Health science centre, 8440 112th street, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2B7. Tel.: +1 780 407 3866; fax: +1 780 407 2004.
ABSTRACT