title: [Tortuosity and kinking of cervical segment of internal carotid artery: an analysis of 7 cases].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To outline the clinical manifestations and compare the different radiological methods of detecting malformation of cervical segment of internal carotid artery.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of 7 cases with malformation of cervical segment of internal carotid artery between May, 2004 and April, 2011. CT angiography (CTA) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) were used to detect the morphology of cervical segment of internal carotid artery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This disease entity provided no obvious symptoms in five cases, and such complains as pharyngeal foreign body sensation in one and odynophagia in another. Physical examination showed a bulge with pulsation on pharyngeal wall in four cases, and apparent normal pharynges in other three patients, all of which were covered with intact pharyngeal mucosa. Twelve carotid arteries were observed in seven cases, five of which were showed tortuosity and seven kinking. All of the five patients with recorded radiological materials had identified malformations of internal carotid artery, two of which were tortuosity bilaterally and two kinking bilaterally and one tortuosity and kinking respectively. CTA and MRA revealed tortuosity of cervical segment of internal carotid arteries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No typical clinical symptoms were shown in the malformation of cervical segment of internal carotid artery. Pharyngeal bulge with pulsation could be encountered. CTA and MRA showed excellent ability to depict the malformation of cervical segment of internal carotid artery and its relationship with surrounding structures, which could protect carotid artery from unintended damage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhimolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China.
authors.forename: Tie-chuan
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Cong
authors.forename: Xing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Wei-hua
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: En-min
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Xue-dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: He
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shui-fang
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed