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Pseudoaneurysm is due to a disruption in the arterial wall, secondary to inflammation, trauma or iatrogenic causes such as surgery, percutaneous biopsy or drainage. We report the case of a 37-year old patient, presenting with cervical swelling that had progressively evolved after penetrating cervical trauma occurred 8 months before. Doppler ultrasound supplemented by CT angiography confirmed the diagnosis of pseudoaneurysm of the left external carotid artery. The considerable development of sectional imaging techniques and of angiography has allowed easier diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Life-threatening bleeding following craniofacial injury is rare. The rich collateral circulation between external and internal carotid arteries complicates the problem of controlling haemorrhage. We report the case of a 63-year-old man who presented a life-threatening haemorrhage following maxillofacial trauma and a severe head injury with subdural haematoma requiring neurosurgical evacuation. Although we had an interventional radiology unit, facial haemostasis was achieved by an unilateral ligation of the external carotid artery. There were three reasons behind our decision: multiple bleeding excluding selective endovascular embolization, efficiency and speed of the ligation of the external carotid, only one place for this cephalic surgery in two phases (neurosurgery and neck surgery). The role of ligation of the external carotid artery for life-threatening bleeding following facial injury is discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]