# Point-of-care Ultrasound Clarified the Diagnosis of an Occipital Artery Pseudoaneurysm After Blunt Trauma

## TL;DR

A 54-year-old man with a rare occipital artery pseudoaneurysm was accurately diagnosed using point-of-care ultrasound after blunt head trauma.

## Contribution

Demonstrates the effectiveness of point-of-care ultrasound in diagnosing rare vascular injuries in emergency settings.

## Key findings

- POCUS identified an occipital artery pseudoaneurysm not clearly visible on CT scans.
- Timely diagnosis was achieved through emergency physician-led ultrasound.
- Blunt trauma can lead to rare vascular complications requiring advanced imaging.

## Abstract

A 54-year-old male presented to the emergency department one month after blunt trauma to the head complaining of two weeks of worsening swelling over his right posterior scalp. Computed tomography of the head without contrast showed a soft tissue lesion. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) was performed to clarify the soft tissue lesion that was found on computed tomography and revealed an occipital artery pseudoaneurysm.

An occipital artery pseudoaneurysm is a rare diagnosis. A POCUS performed by the emergency physician ensured an accurate and timely diagnosis for this patient.