Aneurysms of the extracranial portions of the internal carotid artery are rare, and, of the 85 cases reported, in all but 2 the patients were less than 15 years old. We are adding to the reported cases that of a woman aged 50 years who made a complete recovery after surgical extirpation of the aneurysm.
The patient, a Negro woman 50 years of age, had been seen in the Medical Clinic since 1949 because of epileptic seizures. She had been having these seizures since the age of 23 years, at which time she was involved in an accident and became unconscious. She had been taking medication regularly and her last seizure was Dec. 10, 1955. An electroencephalogram revealed an abnormal tracing suggesting epilepsy.
On her visit to the clinic on Dec. 10 the patient complained of a lump in her throat, which she stated had been present for seven years.