Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Abnormal positioning of the common carotid artery clinically diagnosed as a submandibular mass

  • Case Report
  • Published:
Oral Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The common carotid artery (CCA) usually runs along the long axis of the neck, although it is occasionally found in an abnormal position or is displaced. We report a case of an 86-year-old woman in whom the CCA was identified in the submandibular area. The patient visited our clinic and reported soft tissue swelling in the right submandibular area. It resembled a tumor mass or a swollen lymph node. Computed tomography showed that it was the right CCA that had been bent forward and was running along the submandibular subcutaneous area. Ultrasonography verified the diagnosis. No other lesions were found on the diagnostic images. Consequently, the patient was diagnosed as having abnormal CCA positioning. Although this condition generally requires no treatment, it is important to follow-up the abnormality with diagnostic imaging because of the risk of cerebrovascular disorders.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Del Corso LD, Moruzzo D, Conte B, Agelli M, Romanelli AM, Pastine F, et al. Tortuosity, kinking, and coiling of the carotid artery: expression of atherosclerosis or aging? Angiology. 1998;49:361–71.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Ozcan KM, Ozcan I, Selcuk A, Pasaoglu L, Hatipoglu HG, Dere H. Tortuous internal carotid artery narrowing pyriform sinus: two cases. Clin Imaging. 2008;32:220–2.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Hosokawa S, Mineta H. Tortuous internal carotid artery presenting as a pharyngeal mass. J Laryngol Otol. 2010;124:1033–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Matsumoto Y, Yokoi H, Kohno N. [A case report of dislocation of the common carotid artery.]. J Jpn Soc Head Neck Surg. 2012;22:169–72. (in Japanese).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Metz H, Murray-Leslie RM, Bannister RG, Bull JWD, Marshall J. Kinking of the internal carotid artery in relation to cerebrovascular disease. Lancet. 1961;1:424–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Weibel J, Fields WS. Tortuosity, coiling, and kinking of the internal carotid artery. II. Relationship of morphological variation to cerebrovascular insufficiency. Neurology. 1965;15:462–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Leipzig TJ, Dohrmann GJ. The tortuous or kinked carotid artery: pathogenesis and clinical considerations: a historical review. Surg Neurol. 1986;25:478–86.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Koskas F, Bahnini A, Walden R, Kieffer E. Stenotic coiling and kinking of the internal carotid artery. Ann Vasc Surg. 1993;7:530–40.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Phan TG, Beare RJ, Jolley D, Das G, Ren M, Wong K, et al. Carotid artery anatomy and geometry as risk factors for carotid atherosclerotic disease. Stroke. 2012;43:1596–601.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Deterling RA. Tortuous right common carotid artery simulating aneurysm. Angiology. 1952;3:483–92.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Vannix RS, Joergenson EJ, Carter R. Kinking of the internal carotid artery: clinical significance and surgical management. Am J Surg. 1977;134:82–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Mukherjee D, Inahara T. Management of the tortuous internal carotid artery. Am J Surg. 1985;149:651–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Nagata T, Masumoto K, Hayashi Y, Watanabe Y, Kato Y, Katou F. Three-dimensional computed tomographic analysis of variations of the carotid artery. J Craniomaxillofac Surg. 2016;44:734–42.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Kelly AB. Tortuosity of the internal carotid in relation to the pharynx. J Laryngol Otol. 1925;40:15–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Weibel J, Fields WS. Tortuosity, coiling, and kinking of the internal carotid artery. I. Etiology and radiographic anatomy. Neurology. 1965;15:7–18.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Hiroshima University Hospital, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8553, Japan

    Takashi Nakamoto, Yoshikazu Suei & Masaru Konishi

  2. Department of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, Hiroshima University Hospital, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8553, Japan

    Taku Kanda

  3. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Institute of Biomedical and Health Science, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8553, Japan

    Rinus G. Verdonschot & Naoya Kakimoto

Authors
  1. Takashi Nakamoto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yoshikazu Suei
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Masaru Konishi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Taku Kanda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Rinus G. Verdonschot
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Naoya Kakimoto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Takashi Nakamoto.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

Nakamoto T, Suei Y, Konishi M, Kanda T, Verdonschot RG, and Kakimoto N declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human rights statement

All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2008.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from the patient for her involvement in this study.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Nakamoto, T., Suei, Y., Konishi, M. et al. Abnormal positioning of the common carotid artery clinically diagnosed as a submandibular mass. Oral Radiol 35, 331–334 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11282-018-0355-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11282-018-0355-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation