Abstract
Traumatic carotid artery injury is a rare yet potentially fatal complication of head
and neck trauma. Often masked by primary brain injury, it may remain undiagnosed until
the onset of devastating neurological consequences. We present two contrasting cases
of traumatic brain injury with carotid artery injury—one where the injury was missed
initially, leading to malignant infarction and death, and another where timely detection
resulted in a favorable outcome. These cases underscore the importance of heightened
clinical suspicion and standardized screening for carotid artery injury in specific
trauma patterns, especially in patients presenting with high-risk mechanisms or unexplained
neurological deterioration.
Keywords
blunt trauma - carotid injury - neck injury - screening - traumatic brain injury
