Journal
SURGICAL AND RADIOLOGIC ANATOMY
Volume 44, Issue 8, Pages 1073-1077Publisher
SPRINGER FRANCE
DOI: 10.1007/s00276-022-02965-0
Keywords
Common carotid artery; Cervical spine; Cervical vertebrae; Anatomical variation
Ask authors/readers for more resources
This article describes the management of a patient with retropharyngeal carotid artery in the context of cervical dislocation. A successful surgery was performed after a detailed preoperative evaluation of the images, resulting in a good outcome.
Purpose To describe the management of the discovery of a retropharyngeal carotid artery in the context of a cervical dislocation. Description of the case A 68-year-old female presented acute neck pain and incomplete tetraplegia following a fall on the stairs. Radiographs, contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan and magnetic resonance of the cervical spine revealed a C5-C6 bi-articular dislocation. A detailed preoperative assessment of the images discovered a medialization of the left common carotid artery. An external reduction and a left anterior cervical approach allowed a careful management of the vascular variation and an anterior C5-C6 arthrodesis. At six months, a full neurological recovery was assessed and radiographs demonstrated successful fusion of the cervical arthrodesis. Discussion/conclusion Anatomical features such as medialization of the common carotid artery may affect patients with traumatic cervical spine injuries. The severity of the traumatic bone lesions should not overshadow the preoperative analysis of the adjacent anatomical structures encountered during the surgical approach, even in an emergency situation.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available