Is a C5 segment carotid artery aneurysm serious?
C5 segment carotid artery aneurysms are generally quite serious and require timely medical evaluation and appropriate treatment. Specific analysis is as follows:
A C5 segment carotid artery aneurysm refers to an aneurysm occurring at the level of the fifth cervical vertebra. Patients may develop a pulsatile, expansile neck mass. If the aneurysm is large in size, it may compress the vagus nerve and recurrent laryngeal nerve, leading to symptoms such as hoarseness, coughing while swallowing, dyspnea (difficulty breathing), and numbness in the ipsilateral limbs. In severe cases, the aneurysm may rupture, causing hemorrhage, dizziness, coma, and even posing a significant threat to the patient's health; therefore, this condition is considered serious.
C5 segment carotid artery aneurysms typically require surgical intervention, such as arterial ligation or aneurysmectomy, which can relieve compression on surrounding tissues.