Vascular injuries—Blunt and sharp

Blood vessels in the head and neck region are usually protected by overlying skeleton, hence the incidence of injuries to these blood vessels is relatively less common. Traumatic injuries can be broadly divided into 2 groups based on the mechanism of injury: blunt traumatic injuries and penetrating injuries. Blunt trauma with massive impact is usually associated with injuries to multiple structures, while penetrating trauma leads to focal injuries to these blood vessels. Consequences of these injuries are serious and may lead to mortality from hemorrhage, stroke from cerebrovascular insufficiency or upper limb ischemia. Surgical exposures of these blood vessels can be very difficult technically, hence immediate vascular surgery consult should be obtained for prompt diagnosis and expeditious control of these injuries. With the rapid evolution of endovascular techno logy over the course of past few decades, many of these injuries can now be treated with minimally invasive options.