Interventional radiology in the management of superior thyroid artery injury which presents as a diagnostic dilemma

SUMMARY Following a forgotten iron splinter injury, a 19 year old male developed a slowly increasing extrathyroidal haematoma, which presented as a diagnostic dilemma. Surgical exploration failed to establish a diagnosis and was complicated by severe haemorrhage. Emergency angiography demonstrated injury to the superior thyroid artery. Therapeutic embolization and surgical exploration resulted in functional and anatomical recovery of the thyroid lobe.