Rupture of an internal carotid artery (ICA) pseudoaneurysm is a rare but life-threatening complication of irradiation therapy for a nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). A 36-year-old man had a history of NPC treated with radiotherapy 8 years previously. He was admitted to the hospital because of severe repetitive epistaxis with hemodynamically instablility. An emergent angiography showed the left ICA pseudoaneurysm at the petrous portion (C2 segment). The patient was successfully treated by a new-generation heparin-bonded stent graft without any complication. Emergent stent graft placement is effective in stopping hemorrhage and is therefore a life-saving intervention. Long-term follow-up is necessary to look out for delayed post-treatment complications.
Keywords: Arterial intervention; Endovascular treatment; Heparin-bonded stent graft; Internal carotid pseudoaneurysm; Radiotherapy; Stent graft.
© 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of University of Washington.