A 57-year-old woman was found to have a balloon-like bulge (pseudoaneurysm) in her carotid artery in the neck. Doctors performed surgery to remove the bulge and reconnect the artery. When they examined the removed tissue under a microscope, they discovered it was caused by giant cell arteritis, a rare inflammatory disease that affects blood vessels. After surgery, the patient recovered well with normal blood flow restored to the artery, and doctors recommend this open surgery approach as the best way to treat this condition.