Superficial temporal artery aneurysm

Abstract

The superficial temporal artery (STA), an end branch of the external carotid artery, is a major artery of the head. Due to its location, where skin and fat tissue remain the only protection of the artery, it can be easily damaged while head injury, causing an aneurysm to form. So far around four hundreds of cases of STA aneurysms have been described in the literature. We present a 37-year-old woman with a painless pulsatile mass of approximately one centimeter above the left ear and headaches in the left temporal area. In the past, she was a victim of domestic violence with a few head trauma. The STA aneurysm was confirmed in ultrasound imaging. The patient did not meet the criteria for the diagnosis of giant cell arteritis. She was presented for a vascular surgery consultation and qualified for surgical resection of the aneurysm. In addition, the patient was diagnosed with hepatic hemangioma and mild aortic and mitral valve regurgitation. According to the available literature, STA aneurysms have mostly been reported as post-traumatic. The gold standard for STA aneurysm treatment is surgical resection. The procedure was reported as safe, as well as a low grade of recurrence or complications during the procedure was shown in the literature.