Congenital External Carotid-Internal Carotid Artery Anastomosis

ABSTRACT

Congenital anomalies of the cervical internal carotid artery (ICA) include anomalous origin, hypoplasia or aplasia, and anomalous branches. Among them, congenital anastomosis of the external carotid artery with the cervical ICA is extremely rare. We report herein two patients with congenital external-internal carotid artery anastomoses at the cervical segment with a remnant of the ICA stump or hypoplasia of the ICA.