Asymptomatic fusiform aneurysm of the petrous carotid artery in a patient with von Recklinghausen's neurofibromatosis.

Fusiform aneurysmal dilatation of the petrous portion of the right carotid artery was found in a young patient with von Recklinghausen's neurofibromatosis. The patient presented with sudden left-sided hearing loss, and, during the evaluation of the hearing deficit, an asymptomatic right-sided vascular abnormality was identified. This vascular abnormality is unusual because those abnormalities commonly associated with von Recklinghausen's neurofibromatosis include occlusion of the cerebral arteries, arteriovenous malformations, and intracranial aneurysms. The pathophysiology and natural history of vascular abnormalities accompanying von Recklinghausen's neurofibromatosis are discussed.