Traumatic Pseudoaneurysm of the Superficial Temporal Artery due to Gardner Traction

ABSTRACT

We report a case of pseudoaneurysm of the parietal division of the superficial temporal artery (STA) secondary to iatrogenic head injury due to Gardner traction. A 54-year-old man presented with a pulsatile, cystic, and painless mass in the right anterior temporal region which developed three weeks after head fixation via Gardner traction. At the time of discovery, the mass was 10 mm in diameter, compressible and disappeared after manual compression of the proximal STA. A bruit was audible over the mass, which was thought to be a pseudoaneurysm. A computed tomography angiogram (CTA) showed a pseudoaneurysm of the parietal division of the right STA. The tip of the pseudoaneurysm was thrombosed and was both red and tender. The pseudoaneurysm was thought to be filled with infected thrombus, and the mass was resected with ligation of the proximal and distal ends of the STA. A pseudoaneurysm of the STA should be suspected when there is a history of possible vessel injury, such as a history of head-pin fixation, and when a patient presents with a pulsatile, cystic mass near the temple. Pseudoaneurysms can be successfully treated by excision.