Congenital internal carotid artery aneurysm

Congenital carotid aneurysms are frequently found in the intracranial arteries but rarely seen in extracranial part of the internal carotid artery. A case of a congenital internal carotid artery aneurysm at the skull base was treated in a 13-year-old female child. This case is being presented for its rarity and also to highlight the ease of exposing the upper end of the aneurysm via lateral skull base approach. Infratemporal fossa approach was adopted in this case. The carotid canal was drilled off and the upper end of the aneurysm in the intrapetrous part was mobilized and vascular clip applied before dissection of the aneurysm. Relevant literatures pertaining to this case are also reviewed.