{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T10:20:49Z","timestamp":1785406849615,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":11,"publisher":"AOSIS","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,23]],"date-time":"2025-07-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1753228800000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"<jats:p>Introduction: Extracranial carotid artery aneurysms and pseudoaneurysms are rare, comprising less than 4% of all peripheral artery aneurysms. Rural primary health care facilities often face significant challenges because of limited access to formal imaging. Point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) has the potential to bridge this gap, accelerating timely diagnosis and management in remote settings.\n\nPatient presentation: A 19-year-old male presented to a rural primary health care clinic in the Western Cape of South Africa with a 3-week history of left-sided neck swelling and recent odynophagia. Physical examination revealed a firm, pulsatile mass with an audible bruit.\n\nManagement and outcome: Formal imaging was unavailable for several months, delaying surgical advice. However, the clinic\u2019s newly procured mobile ultrasound allowed for PoCUS, which identified a pulsatile vascular lesion consistent with a carotid pseudoaneurysm. Computed tomography angiography confirmed the diagnosis, and the patient was referred for tertiary care where the lesion was repaired. He had vasculitis on histology and exhibited inconclusive features of a connective tissue disorder, but a definitive cause was not found. Despite multiple attempts, he could not be contacted for follow-up.\n\nConclusion: This case highlights how PoCUS can accelerate definitive management in resource-limited settings.\n\nContribution: Point-of-care ultrasound is potentially an effective, cost-efficient diagnostic tool in rural healthcare settings but requires significant investment in equipment and training. Further research is needed to evaluate its feasibility in South African rural health systems.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4102\/phcfm.v17i1.4959","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,18]],"date-time":"2025-07-18T06:59:21Z","timestamp":1752821961000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4102\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The merit of rural point-of-care ultrasound: Carotid pseudoaneurysm case report"],"prefix":"10.4102","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7641-1146","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jan C.","family":"Thirion","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4300-0372","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dani\u00ebl J.","family":"Van Hoving","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/05bk57929","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Stellenbosch University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"2580","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref0","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ucaroglu ER, Tahtabasi M. Surgical treatment of extracranial internal carotid artery pseudoaneurysm in an infant due to falling from height: An unusual case. Int Med Case Rep J. 2023;16:667\u2013672. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2147\/imcrj.s433360","DOI":"10.2147\/IMCRJ.S433360"},{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Zhong Y, Feng JP, Luo H, Gong X, Wei ZH. Spontaneous internal carotid artery pseudoaneurysm complicated with ischemic stroke in a young man: A case report and review of literature. World J Clin Cases. 2022;10(22):8025\u20138033. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.12998\/wjcc.v10.i22.8025","DOI":"10.12998\/wjcc.v10.i22.8025"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sueyoshi E, Sakamoto I, Nakashima K, Minami K, Hayashi K. Visceral and peripheral arterial pseudoaneurysms. Am J Roentgenol. 2005;185(3):741\u2013749. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2214\/ajr.185.3.01850741","DOI":"10.2214\/ajr.185.3.01850741"},{"key":"ref3","unstructured":"Statistics South Africa | Census Dissemination [homepage on the Internet]. census.statssa.gov.za. [cited 2023 Oct 10]. Available from: https:\/\/census.statssa.gov.za\/#\/province\/1\/2"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Smallwood N, Dachsel M. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS): Unnecessary gadgetry or evidence-based medicine? Clin Med. 2018;18(3):219\u2013224. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.7861\/clinmedicine.18-3-219","DOI":"10.7861\/clinmedicine.18-3-219"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kabongo JM, Nel S, Pitcher RD. An analysis of licensed South African diagnostic imaging equipment. Pan Afr Med J. 2015;22:57. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.11604\/pamj.2015.22.57.7016","DOI":"10.11604\/pamj.2015.22.57.7016"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kornelsen J, Ho H, Robinson VP, Frenkel O. Rural family physician use of point-of-care ultrasonography: Experiences of primary care providers in British Columbia, Canada. BMC Prim Care. 2023;24(1):183. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s12875-023-02128-z","DOI":"10.1186\/s12875-023-02128-z"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Abrokwa SK, Ruby LC, Heuvelings CC, B\u00e9lard S. Task shifting for point of care ultrasound in primary healthcare in low- and middle-income countries \u2013 A systematic review. EClinicalMedicine. 2022;45:101333. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.eclinm.2022.101333","DOI":"10.1016\/j.eclinm.2022.101333"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Balmuth EA, Luan D, Jannat-Khah D, Evans A, Wong T, Scales DA. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS): Assessing patient satisfaction and socioemotional benefits in the hospital setting. PLoS One. 2024;19(2):e0298665. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0298665","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0298665"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lentz B, Fong T, Rhyne R, Risko N. A systematic review of the cost-effectiveness of ultrasound in emergency care settings. Ultrasound J. 2021;13(1):16. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s13089-021-00216-8","DOI":"10.1186\/s13089-021-00216-8"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Andersen CA, Holden S, Vela J, Rathleff MS, Jensen MB. Point-of-care ultrasound in general practice: A systematic review. Ann Fam Med. 2019;17(1):61\u201369. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1370\/afm.2330","DOI":"10.1370\/afm.2330"}],"container-title":["African Journal of Primary Health Care &amp; Family Medicine"],"original-title":[],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,28]],"date-time":"2025-07-28T08:09:56Z","timestamp":1753690196000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/phcfm.org\/index.php\/phcfm\/article\/view\/4959"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,23]]},"references-count":11,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,23]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4102\/phcfm.v17i1.4959","relation":{},"ISSN":["2071-2928","2071-2936"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2071-2928","type":"print"},{"value":"2071-2936","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,23]]},"article-number":"a4959"}}