Spontaneous Dissection of Internal Carotid Artery Masquerading as Angioedema

Spontaneous dissection of the internal carotid artery usually presents with stroke-like symptoms secondary to ischemia in its vascular territory, as well as local signs and symptoms, which may include head, face or neck pain, Horner’s syndrome, pulsatile tinnitus, and cranial nerve palsies. We report a case of a 44-year-old healthy white male who presented with tongue swelling mimicking angioedema as an unusual manifestation of spontaneous dissection of the internal carotid artery. Two weeks after the initial presentation, the patient returned with similar symptoms and slurred speech. Upon physical examination, he was noted to have isolated left-sided hypoglossal nerve palsy. Subsequent diagnostic imaging revealed segmental narrowing of the left internal carotid artery. The appearance was consistent with the presence of a spontaneous internal carotid artery dissection with associated pseudoaneurysm formation.