Congenital absence of the external carotid artery: atherosclerosis without a bifurcation.

Rodriguez, Heron E; Ziauddin, M Firdos; Podbielski, Francis J; Durham, Joseph R; Clark, Elizabeth T · J Vasc Surg · 2002

case_report · Level V

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Abstract

We report the case of a patient with congenital absence of the external carotid artery in whom we performed a carotid endarterectomy. The radiographic features and operative findings are presented. Four similar cases previously reported in the literature are reviewed. A comment on the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis at the carotid bulb in the absence of a bifurcation and a brief discussion on the possible embryologic explanation of this anomaly are discussed.

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