Introduction:

The treatment of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) involves total thyroidectomy (TT) with modified radical cervical dissection in case of evidence of lymphadenopathy. There are several vascular and neurological complications associated with this process, in this case we will describe carotid thrombosis as a rare secondary lesion in the postoperative period (0.1%).

Material and methods:

Clinical case diagnosed and treated in our center. Case report: A 55-year-old woman diagnosed with PTC and operated on with TT and modified jugular dissection. During the postoperative period, he started with a clinic of irritative cough and dysphagia. A cervical computed tomography (CT) scan showed thrombosis of the left common carotid artery with distal repermeabilization. In cerebral nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) no alterations were found. Anticoagulant treatment and antiplatelet therapy were started. The lesion did not progress, achieving a favorable evolution.

Conclusions:

The carotid thrombosis is an extremely rare complication of cervical dissection. It should be suspected to carry out an early diagnosis and start the treatment as soon as possible, thus preventing the progression of the disease with sequelae that could be irreversible.