Presentation
Left ear bruit.
Patient Data
Note: This case has been tagged as "legacy" as it no longer meets image preparation and/or other case publication guidelines.
Deficient bony plate along the tympanic portion of internal carotid artery at the middle tympanic cavity. The artery passes lateral to the cochlear promontory.
Case Discussion
Aberrant internal carotid artery is a normal variant and can be mistaken for a jugular paraganglioma. Recognizing the findings of an aberrant internal carotid artery is important to avoid potentially severe surgical complications.
It is important to note that from these selected images on a non-contrast basis, it is difficult to confirm the diagnosis and full-study CT stacks are needed, which were not available. Differential diagnosis includes jugulotympanic paraganglioma.