Peer Reviewed

Photoclinic

Superficial Temporal Artery Pseudoaneurysm

Volume 58 - Issue 11 - November 2018

Author:
Rudy F. Schmiedecke, MD
Naval Hospital Bremerton, Bremerton, Washington

Citation:
Schmiedecke RF. Superficial temporal artery pseudoaneurysm. Consultant. 2018;58(11):322.

 

A 21-year-old man presented with a 7-mm painless swelling on the left temple, which had developed after his participation in a paintball game 2 weeks previously. The lesion had not changed in size since its appearance.

fig 1

fig 2

The differential diagnosis included epidermoid cyst, lipoma, and other soft tissue mass. On physical examination, the mass was slightly pulsatile and compressible, leading to a diagnosis of superficial temporal artery pseudoaneurysm (STAP).

STAPs typically occur as a result of blunt trauma to the superficial temporal artery (STA) and are usually painless or have mild associated symptoms.1 Pseudoaneurysms form due to contained bleeding within a vessel following minor trauma.1 Similar cases have been described in literature subsequent to paintball injuries when an individual was not wearing proper protective equipment such as a full face shield; they also have been reported in participants in sports with high-momentum strikes, such as helmeted lacrosse players.2,3

A definitive diagnosis and specific location may be achieved with Doppler ultrasonography.1-4 Treatment often requires surgical excision, embolization, or obliteration of the affected vessel.4

Nine months after presentation, this patient’s lesion had fully resolved due to the use of regular compression given the convenient location of the anterior branch of the STA directly beneath the band of a ball cap, suggesting compression as an less-invasive alternative treatment option in some cases.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Navy, the Department of Defense, or the US Government.

References:

  1. Rood LK. Superficial temporal artery pseudoaneurysm presenting as a suspected sebaceous cyst. J Emerg Med. 2016;51(6):e149-e150.
  2. Baker CR, Sajjanshetty M, Baroni ML, Law N. Paintball injury causing temporal artery pseudoaneurysms—a case for better protection. Injury Extra. 2008;39(1):36-37.
  3. Tracy A, Klinge P, Morrison J, Jayaraman MV, Kriz PK. Traumatic superficial temporal artery pseudoaneurysm in a helmeted lacrosse player. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2016;15(1):13-15.
  4. Younus SM, Imran M, Qazi R. Superficial temporal artery pseudoaneurysm: a case report. Front Surg. 2015;2:51.