Enlarging traumatic superficial temporal artery pseudoaneurysm from a lacrosse ball injury: illustrative case

Abstract

BACKGROUND The development of a mobile, growing, pulsatile mass after blunt head trauma to the forehead area, resulting in a superficial temporal artery pseudoaneurysm, is a very rare outcome. Most pseudoaneurysms are diagnosed with ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and/or magnetic resonance imaging and treated via resection or, occasionally, embolization. OBSERVATIONS The authors describe a case of a young male lacrosse player who presented with a bulging, partially pulsatile mass in the right forehead region 2 months after trauma from a high-velocity ball striking his head while helmeted. The authors reviewed 12 patients in the literature and describe each patient’s epidemiological features, nature of the trauma, and onset of the lesion after the trauma, as well as the diagnostic methods and treatments for each case. LESSONS Overall, CT and ultrasound appear to be the easiest and most used methods of diagnosis, and resection under general anesthesia is the most common treatment method.