Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine

Case Presentation: Here we present the case of a previously healthy 67-year-old female with carotid artery dissection as a result of penetrating ear trauma.

Discussion: Carotid artery dissection can result from unusual mechanisms of injury and present without typical symptoms or exam findings. If left untreated, devastating neurologic sequela can occur. Physicians must have a low threshold to obtain vascular imaging to appropriately manage such cases.