title: Aberrant internal carotid artery in the middle ear: two case reports.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the clinical and radiological features of the vascular anomaly, aberrant internal carotid artery (ICA) in the temporal bone.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case reports on two patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aberrant ICA in the middle ear is a rare congenital abnormality usually identified on a computed tomographic scan before beginning middle ear surgery. Misdiagnosis may lead to serious surgical complications such as major bleeding, or even neurological deficit due to endovascular occlusion.
authors.affiliation: Audiology Department, University Hospital of Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ciorba
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bianchini
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Ortore
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bovo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000002:abnormalities*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000098:blood supply*; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000098:blood supply*; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis