Internal carotid artery anomaly in oropharynx as a rare cause of sore throat

Abstract

Background: Anomaly of internal carotid artery (ICA) is a very rare variation. In almost all the cases, the anomaly was on the right side. This right-sided predominance may be attributed to anatomical influences and factors affecting blood pressure. Case report: A 67-years-old man presented to ear, nose and throat (ENT) outpatient clinic in Al Wakra Hospital complain of sore throat, there was associated medical co-morbidities (diabetic, hypertensive, hyperlipidemia and coronary artery diseases). ENT examination showed a pulsating, bulging mass on the right posterolateral oropharyngeal wall with normal mucosal covering. CT scan with contrast showed aberrant course of the right ICA which is coursing medially in prevertebral space and right posterolateral hypopharyngeal wall over a length of approximately 1.7 cm, making an acute U-turn before resuming the normal course and its distal aspects, only a thin layer of mucosa noted over the aberrant course of ICA. Conclusion: Anomaly of ICA must be kept in mind in the evaluation of patients with sore throat associated with oropharyngeal mass especially in old-aged patients with atherosclerotic diseases.