Paralysis of the hypoglossal nerve caused by 2 aneurysms and a dissecting aneurysm of the internal carotid artery

Palsies of the lower cranial nerves caused by a compressive pathological carotid artery are not common. Three cases of paralysis of the hypoglossal nerve, hypoglossal and vagus, hypoglossal, glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves, are reported. In 2 patients the symptoms were related to an extracranial carotid artery aneurysm below the base of the skull and in 1 patient to a spontaneous carotid dissecting aneurysm. It is possible that some localized arterial dissecting aneurysms evolve to a localized aneurysmal sac, especially if they are located between Cl and the base of the skull. The tongue paralysis disappeared in 2 patients.