Aneurysm of the superficial temporal artery following parotid gland surgery-Case report and review of the literature
A 46-year-old male underwent surgery of the left parotid gland due to cystadenolymphoma. After a postoperative interval of 6 weeks free of complications, a pulsating tumor of the preauricular region had developed. Complaints included a feeling of pressure, sharp pain, and recurrent swelling. The lesion was found to be an aneurysm of the superficial temporal artery by using duplex ultrasound (Fig. ) and a contrast enhanced spiral CT scan of the head (Fig. ). The aneurysm was treated by circumscribed revision surgery of the upper parotid region under general anesthesia. Afferent and efferent vessels were identified and ligated. The aneurysm was then excised to prevent any further discomfort (Fig. ). After surgery, no further complications, particularly no facial nerve paralysis, were observed, and the patient was dismissed on the second day after surgery. The following histopathological analysis revealed, as expected, a false aneurysm of approximately 10 mm in diameter. It was almost completely filled-out by a thrombus consisting of layered fibrin and erythrocytes (Fig. ).