Sonographic demonstration of buckling of the great vessels of the neck.

Clinical, sonographic, and radiographic features in 11 patients with pulsatile neck masses due to buckling of the great vessels were reviewed. The pulsatile neck masses corresponded to buckling of the innominate and right subclavian arteries in five patients and buckling of the right common carotid arteries in six. Real-time sonography provides a noninvasive and accurate method to diagnose buckling of the great vessels of the neck as the cause of pulsatile neck masses and obviates angiography for diagnosis.