title: Aberrant Internal Carotid Artery in the Tympanic Cavity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Presence of aberrant internal carotid artery (ICA) in the tympanic cavity is a very rare case and therefore the diagnosis is a challenge. Here, the authors aimed to address the importance of the diagnosis since the intervention to the middle ear and implants is increasing in number and this condition may lead to life-threatening bleeding.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 2012 and 2016, among the patients referred to the authors' Radiology Department from the Department of Otolaringology for the evaluation of the temporal region for various indications, the authors reported this anomaly in 6 patients and multidetector computerized tomography of these 6 patients and magnetic resonance imaging of 2 were assessed in detail.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the 6 patients was 28.8 and aberrant ICA abnormality was observed in 2 patients bilaterally and 4 patients unilaterally on the right side. In 1 patient ICA was not totally regressed and observed as hypoplastic. In one of the patients, dehiscence was evident between ICA and the cochlea. Moreover, in 1 patient the contralateral ICA was not observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although rare, aberrant ICA is an abnormality that should be kept in mind by the clinicians and the radiologists, since it leads to abundant bleeding when undiagnosed before the surgical interventions.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Radiology, Private Gaziantep Sevgi Hospital, Gaziantep, Turkey†Departments of Otolaringology‡Department of Radiology, Mustafa Kemal University Medical School, Hatay, Turkey.
authors.forename: Rasim
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yanmaz
authors.forename: Şemsettin
authors.initials: Ş
authors.lastname: Okuyucu
authors.forename: Gülen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Burakgazi
authors.forename: Hanifi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bayaroğullari
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery; D003051:Cochlea / Q000098:blood supply; D015834:Cochlear Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D004244:Dizziness / Q000209:etiology; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000098:blood supply*; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006257:Head; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography; D013702:Temporal Lobe; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000209:etiology; D055815:Young Adult