Ligation of the common carotid artery for the management of a mycotic pseudoaneurysm of an extracranial internal carotid artery. A case report and review of the literature.

Although vascular involvement by deep neck space infections occurs very rarely today with the widespread use of antibiotics, they often pose a significant challenge to the modern otolaryngologist, who most likely will have had no previous experience with either the diagnosis or treatment of these potentially life-threatening infections. We describe the case of a young female presenting with fevers, dysphagia, and blood-tinged sputum, who was diagnosed by contrast-enhanced computerized tomography, to possess a mycotic pseudoaneurysm of her right extracranial internal carotid artery, for which ligation of her common carotid artery was required. We also discuss both the clinical findings which should lead one to suspect that a neck infection may be involving the extracranial carotid arteries, and the English literature, on the morbidity and mortality of ligating a common carotid artery.