Traumatic Carotid Cavernous Fistula Resulting in Symptoms in the Ipsilateral Eye: A Case Report - Cureus
Carotid cavernous fistula (CCF) is an abnormal vascular connection between the internal carotid artery (ICA) or the external carotid artery (ECA) and the venous branches of the cavernous sinus (CS); it is rare but can cause serious complications. Etiologically, CCF may be caused by head trauma most commonly, which may be blunt trauma to the brain or more notably, a basilar skull fracture resulting in a tear of the intracavernous ICA [1]. Other causes include the spontaneous rupture of a cavernous carotid aneurysm or a weakness of the arterial wall [2]. CCF is typically divided into direct and indirect types. Shunting of the blood from the carotid artery to the cavernous sinus increases the pressure inside the cavernous sinus, causes the backing up of blood in the draining vessels, may cause the flow to reverse, and presents clinical features that resemble many conditions of the eye and neck. Therefore, it is important for neurologists, neurosurgeons, and ophthalmologists to focus on