Asymptomatic fusiform aneurysm of the petrous carotid artery in a patient with von Recklinghausen's neurofibromatosis.

Abstract Fusiform aneurysmal dilatation of the petrous portion of the right carotid artery was found in a young patient with von Recklinghausen's neurofibromatosis. The patient presented with sudden left-sided hearing loss, and, during the evaluation of the hearing deficit, an asymptomatic right-sided vascular abnormality was identified. This vascular abnormality is unusual because those abnormalities commonly associated with von Recklinghausen's neurofibromatosis include occlusion of the cerebral arteries, arteriovenous malformations, and intra-cranial aneurysms. The pathophysiology and natural history of vascular abnormalities accompanying von Recklinghausen's neurofibromatosis are discussed.