Accepted Manuscript Stenting of a Retropharyngeal Internal Carotid Artery Gordon H. Martin, MD, FACS, Naveed U. Saqib, MD, FACS, Hazim J. Safi, MD, FACS PII:
S0890-5096(16)30225-4
DOI:
10.1016/j.avsg.2016.01.019
Reference:
AVSG 2765
To appear in:
Annals of Vascular Surgery
Received Date: 5 January 2016 Accepted Date: 8 January 2016
Please cite this article as: Martin GH, Saqib NU, Safi HJ, Stenting of a Retropharyngeal Internal Carotid Artery, Annals of Vascular Surgery (2016), doi: 10.1016/j.avsg.2016.01.019. This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
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Stenting of a Retropharyngeal Internal Carotid Artery
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Gordon H. Martin, MD, FACS; Naveed U. Saqib, MD, FACS; Hazim J. Safi, MD, FACS
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Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, The University of Texas Medical School at
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Houston, Houston, Texas
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Corresponding author:
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Hazim J. Safi, MD
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6400 Fannin St. Suite 2850
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Houston, TX 77030
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Tel: 713 486 5100
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Fax: 713 512 7200
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[email protected]
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Abstract
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A retropharyngeal course of the carotid artery is an uncommon variant. Recognition of this
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anatomic anomaly is important in avoiding severe hemorrhage with endotracheal intubation and
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oropharyngeal procedures and for planning carotid interventions. We present a rare case of
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stenting for an asymptomatic, high-grade stenosis in a retropharyngeal internal carotid artery.
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Introduction
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Anatomic abnormalities of the carotid vessels, including aplasia, hypoplasia, and aberrant
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positioning, are uncommon. In particular, a retropharyngeal course of the carotid artery is very
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rare, with only a few cases reported.1-7 Significant carotid bifurcation atherosclerotic lesions
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associated with this anatomic variant have been observed with even less frequency. Recognition
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of this rare anatomic variant is important, as adverse events have been reported with
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endotracheal intubation and oropharyngeal surgery.8-9 There are no reports of surgical
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intervention for a retropharyngeal carotid plaque. Stenting has been widely reported for the
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treatment of carotid disease in patients at high risk for perioperative complications and for
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patients with challenging anatomy, including recurrent stenosis, irradiated necks, and high
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cervical lesions. We report only the second case in the literature of stenting for a
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retropharyngeal, carotid bifurcation atherosclerotic lesion.7 The patient consented to publication
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of this report.
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Case Report
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A 69-year-old female presented to the clinic for evaluation of an asymptomatic internal carotid
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artery stenosis. Three years earlier she was diagnosed with occlusion of the left subclavian
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artery, presenting with mild arm claudication symptoms. She had not experienced symptoms of
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posterior circulation cerebral ischemia. She denied any dysphagia, dysphonia or other
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oropharyngeal symptoms. Her medical history was significant for smoking, hypertension,
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hypercholesterolemia, and coronary artery disease, with a prior percutaneous coronary
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intervention. On examination, the carotid pulses were palpable in the usual anterolateral position.
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A carotid duplex ultrasound scan demonstrated 80-99% stenosis of the left internal carotid artery
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without evidence of an abnormal course of the vessels. Computed tomography angiography
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(CTA) revealed a tortuous, retropharyngeal course of the left carotid artery with a focal 70-80%
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stenosis of the proximal internal carotid artery. There was significant medial displacement of the
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left carotid vessels. The carotid bifurcation lesion was positioned at the midline of the C3
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vertebral body with partial compression of the posterior esophageal wall (Figure 1). The
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proximal and intracranial vessels were unremarkable, without any other anomalies. The patient
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was counseled on the treatment options of medical therapy and surgical or endovascular
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intervention. There was concern regarding adequate surgical exposure of the carotid vessels, and
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an increased risk of stroke and cranial nerve injury associated with a more extensive surgical
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dissection.
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Additionally, the patient was apprehensive about treatment with medical therapy only. The decision was made to proceed with an endovascular intervention to obviate the exposure
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concerns and definitively treat the lesion. The patient received preoperative Statin, ACE
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inhibitor, and dual antiplatelet therapy. Conventional digital subtraction angiography confirmed a
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high-grade internal carotid artery stenosis as well as occlusion of the left subclavian artery and
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retrograde flow in the left vertebral artery (Figure 2). With utilization of distal embolic
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protection (Emboshield NAV6, Abbott Vascular, Redwood City, Calif.) the carotid lesion was
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treated with a tapered 6-8 mm x 40 mm Nitinol Xact stent (Abbott Vascular, Redwood City,
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Calif.) without any complications. (Figure 3)
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Discussion
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The common and internal carotid arteries develop from the third and fourth aortic arches.
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Generally, the common and internal carotid arteries have a straight course through the neck,
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running lateral to the esophagus and trachea. Anatomic deviations from this course are quite
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common, with 10-40% of patients having curvatures, elbowing or notching (10). However, the
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incidence of an aberrant carotid artery is less common, estimated at less than 0.2%.1-2 A
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retropharyngeal course of the carotid arteries is one of these rare anomalies and has been
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described by Munoz1 as “kissing carotids,” due to the deviation of the carotid vessels medially
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toward each other. Some investigators have implicated atherosclerosis, aging, hypertension and
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fibromuscular dysplasia as inciting factors for these anatomic anomalies of the carotid vessels.10-
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Others12 indicate that embryology is likely the primary factor, citing the incidence of
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carotid vessel tortuosity and kinking does not change as we age.
Most retropharyngeal carotid arteries are asymptomatic. However, some patients have presented with a pulsating mass in the posterior wall of the pharynx, dysphagia, or hoarseness.1
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Others have presented with glossopharyngeal neuralgia,13 sleep apnea, or cerebrovascular
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insufficiency.14
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It is important for both the anesthesiologist and surgeon to be aware of this arterial variant with proximity of the carotid artery to the oropharyngeal wall. If the retropharyngeal
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course of the carotid vessel is not noted, life-threatening hemorrhage may occur with laceration
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of the oropharyngeal mucosa during endotracheal intubation or oropharyngeal surgery.8-9
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Tillman proposed the term “dangerous loop” for an aberrant cervical internal carotid
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artery associated with a pharyngeal pseudomass, as it poses a risk during oropharyngeal
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surgery.15 If a displaced carotid pulse is appreciated on physical examination or if oropharyngeal
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symptoms are elicited, further imaging with CTA or magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA)
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should be considered to evaluate for an aberrant course of the carotid vessels. Some have also
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advocated imaging intra-cranially to evaluate for aneurysms and other pathology which may be
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more prevalent in these patients.16
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Our patient’s carotid lesion was asymptomatic and may have been managed medically or surgically. While there are reports of medical management of retropharyngeal carotid arteries
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associated with non-hemodynamically significant atherosclerotic lesions,4-6 there are no reports
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of medical therapy for high-grade stenoses. Additionally, there are no reported cases of an
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endarterectomy for the treatment of a retropharyngeal carotid lesion. It is unlikely that an open
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surgical intervention for a retropharyngeal carotid lesion could be performed with the same low-
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risk profile associated with an anatomically uncomplicated procedure. There was also concern
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regarding the possibility of inducing dysphagia or esophageal erosion with an open repair and
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patch angioplasty of the vessel. Additionally, our patient was adverse to medical management
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only and the results of carotid stenting for asymptomatic lesions are acceptable, as seen in the
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recent CREST trial.17 We are aware of only one previous case of stenting, performed for a
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symptomatic retropharyngeal carotid lesion, with a good outcome.7
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Conclusion
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There are significant clinical consequences associated with a retropharyngeal carotid artery and
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this anomaly should be recognized prior to endotracheal intubation or oropharyngeal procedures
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to avoid a hemorrhagic catastrophe. This anomaly should be noted also in planning for carotid
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arterial intervention. Stenting has been widely adopted for the treatment of anatomically high-
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risk lesions, including recurrent stenosis, high-cervical lesions and previously irradiated necks. A
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retropharyngeal position of the carotid plaque may represent another anatomic indication for an
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endovascular approach. Stenting of a retropharyngeal carotid lesion may be an acceptable
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alternative to medical or surgical intervention.
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References
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3. Chen SS, Shao KN, Chiang JH, et al. Aberrant cervical carotid artery. Zhonghua Yi Xue ZA Zhi (Taipei) 2000;63:653-7.
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2. Agrawal R, Agrawal SK. Dangerous anatomic variation of internal carotid artery – a rare
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10. Paulsen F, Tillman B, Christofides C, et al. Curving and looping of the internal carotid artery
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11. Lam RC, Lin SC, DeRubertis B, et al. The Impact of Increasing Age on Anatomic Factors Affecting Carotid Angioplasty and Stenting. J Vasc Surg Vol. 45, No.5, 2007, pp. 875-880. 12. Beigelman R, Izaguirre AM, Robles M, et al. Are kinking and coiling of carotid artery congenital or acquired? Angiology 2010;61:107-12.
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Figure Legend
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Figure 1: CTA image of carotid bifurcation compression of the posterior esophageal wall.
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Figure 2: Digital subtraction angiogram demonstrating high-grade, left internal carotid artery
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stenosis.
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Figure 3: Angiographic image after deployment of Nitinol stent.
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