ABSTRACT
Extracranial carotid artery aneurysms (ECAAs) are rare. They may be fusiform, saccular in
morphology, and either true or false. Causes of ECAAs include trauma (which may cause
aneurysmal dissections), iatrogenic, atherosclerosis, vasculitis such as Takayasu’s arteritis, and
infection. Traumatic and iatrogenic aneurysms are the most common causes of ECAAs in the
Western world. Atherosclerotic aneurysms are generally located around the carotid bifurcation,
and aneurysmal dissections usually occur more distally in the internal carotid artery (ICA).
