Intrapetrous internal carotid artery aneurysm diagnosed on the basis of middle ear effusion: A case report.

The present study reports a rare case of a giant intrapetrous internal carotid aneurysm that compressed the internal jugular vein causing recurrent middle ear effusion in a 13-year-old female. Images obtained by computed tomography revealed middle ear effusion occupying the right side of the attic. Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) resulted in a diagnosis of a giant aneurysm of the right intrapetrous carotid artery, with a diameter of 25 mm and a neighboring area of compression of the internal jugular vein. The patient was treated successfully using coil embolization. The present study therefore indicates that DSA should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with middle ear effusion. Early treatment with coil embolization or other surgical treatments can be a life-saving therapeutic approach.