[Aneurysm of the internal carotid artery at the base of the skull (author's transl)].

A 15-year-old diabetic boy suffering from recurrent peritonsillar infections developed a mycotic aneurysm of the internal carotid artery at the base of the skull. The aneurysm was approached through a cervical and retroauricular incision. The styloid process was burred down at its base. The sternocleidomastoid muscle and the digastric muscle were resected from the mastoid. The internal carotid artery was clamped proximally and blocked with a balloon-catheter distally. The carotid bone canal was opened 10 mm and the carotid artery resected until normal vessel wall was reached. A vein graft was placed end-to-end with single stitches, using 8 X 0 monofil sutures with a small needle. The postoperative course was uneventful except for a temporary paresis of the peripheral facial nerve. Postoperative angiography revealed restoration of the vessel to normal, the patient is now free of symptoms.