Post-traumatic superficial temporal artery arteriovenous malformation: A case report and surgical insight in Sub-Saharan Africa

• Scalp post-traumatic AVM of the superficial temporal artery, 10-year delay. • Diagnosis confirmed by Doppler ultrasound in a resource-limited setting. • Complete en bloc resection achieved with proximal control of feeders. • Transient facial nerve branch palsy occurred and fully resolved. • Open surgery preferred where endovascular options are unavailable. Arteriovenous malformations of the head and neck are rare vascular anomalies composed of a complex network of interconnected arteries and veins. They are most often congenital but may, more rarely, occur following trauma. We report the case of a 17-year-old adolescent presenting with a pulsatile mass in the left parietofrontal region, which appeared ten years after a cranial trauma. Doppler ultrasound confirmed the diagnosis of an arteriovenous malformation supplied by the left superficial temporal artery. A complete surgical resection was successfully performed. The immediate postoperative course was marked by transient partial paralysis of the facial nerve, secondary to injury of its left temporofrontal branch. No other complications were noted during a six-month follow-up.