Traumatic aneurysm of the temporal artery: a report of five cases.

Five cases of traumatic aneurysm of the superficial temporal artery are reported. Four patients clearly stated that they had sustained traumatic injuries within 3 months prior to the appearance of the pulsating aneurysms; in the remaining case, more than two years had passed before the appearance of the nodule, and it was without pulsation. Color Doppler echography was very useful for observing the circulation in these aneurysms. Histologically, these cases were pseudoaneurysms composed of small vessels with internal elastic lamina and adjacent connective tissue proliferation, suggesting a break in the arterial wall.