{
  "abstract": "An aberrant internal carotid artery (a-ICA) in the middle ear is rare, but it may be injured during routine otological procedures. This review examines 48 publications on its embryological basis, clinical presentation, imaging diagnosis, and management. The a-ICA results from agenesis of the first embryonic segment of the internal carotid artery, with collateralisation through the inferior tympanic artery. Presentation is often non-specific; hearing loss (47.7%) and pulsatile tinnitus (30.0%) are the most frequent symptoms. Otoscopy may show a pulsatile retrotympanic mass in the anteroinferior quadrant. High-resolution computed tomography is central to diagnosis; relevant features include absence of the normal vertical carotid canal and its exocranial opening, and enlargement of the inferior tympanic canaliculus. The a-ICA must be distinguished from the more common lateralised petrous ICA variant, which retains a normal proximal calibre and enters the anterior mesotympanum without involving the inferior tympanic canaliculus. In iatrogenic injury, immediate packing is followed by definitive treatment in most reported cases; endovascular approaches have fewer complications than surgical ligation. Preoperative recognition remains one of the main safeguards against severe haemorrhage and neurological sequelae.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Division of Anatomy, Faculty of Dentistry, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, 020021 Romania"
  ],
  "article_type": "review article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 1,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Mugurel Constantin Rusu",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8723-0540"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/en6wg4t6324h1.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1007/s00405-026-10500-9",
  "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13748052/",
  "id": "en6wg4t6324h1",
  "issns": [
    "0937-4477",
    "1434-4726"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-026-10500-9",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Review Article"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2730|Ear and Head Tumors"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7172216809",
  "pdf_url": "https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00405-026-10500-9.pdf",
  "pmcid": "PMC13748052",
  "pmid": "42543430",
  "published": "2026-08-03",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/en6wg4t6324h1.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-13T12:25:37Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13748052",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-026-10500-9"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2730|Ear and Head Tumors",
      "subfield": "oncology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Aberrant ICA in the middle ear",
  "title_text": "Aberrant ICA in the middle ear",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-13T12:25:37Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/en6wg4t6324h1",
  "venue": "European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology",
  "versions": []
}