Hypoglossal nerve paresis from internal carotid artery dissection: Case report and review of the literature

Abstract

A 43 year old man presented with right frontal and temporal headache, dysgeusia, and dysphagia a
week before visiting the hospital. During clinical examination we noted a peripheral paresis of the right
hypoglossal nerve. Magnetic resonance imaging diagnosed a dissection of the extracranial section of the
right internal carotid artery. The hypoglossal nerve, due to its anatomical adjacency to the internal carotid
artery, is prone to compression from an intramural hematoma.