Giant mastoid emissary vein: source of profuse bleeding during mastoid surgery

The emissary veins are residual connections between intra-cerebral veins and their extra-cranial drainage. Mastoid emissary vein is a rare but definite entity which if not diagnosed preoperatively could be a cause of severe hemorrhage at the time of surgery which may prove to be life threatening. Th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Indian journal of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery : official publication of the Association of Otolaryngologists of India 2011, Vol.63, p.102-103
Main Authors: Ahmad, Rauf, Ali, Ihsan, Naikoo, Ghulam M, Choo, Naseer A, Jan, Fozia
Format: Report
Language:English
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Summary:The emissary veins are residual connections between intra-cerebral veins and their extra-cranial drainage. Mastoid emissary vein is a rare but definite entity which if not diagnosed preoperatively could be a cause of severe hemorrhage at the time of surgery which may prove to be life threatening. These veins may vary in size from that of a mere thread to that of a wax match or 1/8th-3/8th of an inch. We report one such case of a giant mastoid emissary vein which was opened while operating on mastoid and caused profuse bleeding which could only be controlled by surgical pack.
ISSN:0973-7707
DOI:10.1007/s12070-011-0215-9