An aberrant evolution of the internal carotid artery through the middle ear

Two patients had a serious bleeding during insertion of ventilation tubes. The cause of this complication was an aberrant internal carotis artery in de middle ear. In two other patients this abnormality was found by coincidence. An aberrant internal carotic artery is a rare abnormality and only incidentally reported in literature. By the patients who had a paracentese, the bleeding could be stopped by tamponade. Especially when there is also an otitis media, it is hard to find the abnormality in otoscopy. CT scan is the golden standard in finding this abnormality. There are no therapeutic options.