Pulse synchronous bruit, swollen eye, diplopia, exophthalmos, chemosis and diplopia three weeks after a head trauma

Traumatic carotid-cavernous sinus fistulas represent an uncommon complication of a head trauma. The consequences of a delayed diagnosis are progressive ocular complications such as visual loss, extraocular muscle palsy, progressive proptosis, conjuctival chemosis, retinal vein occlusion and secondary glaucoma. Moreover, severe epistaxis, intracerebral and subarachnoidal hemorrhage may occur. We present a patient who developed a carotid-cavernous sinus fistula within three weeks after a craniocerebral injury. Despite initial exclusion of an arteriovenous fistula using duplex sonography, angiography later demonstrated the carotid-cavernous sinus fistula that was successfully occluded be means of catheter intervention. The patient's symptomatology consisting of pulse synchronous bruit, red, swollen and painful eye, diplopia, chemosis, pulsating exophthalmos, ocular hypertension and progressive visual loss allowed various differential diagnoses. Apart from inflammatory, mechanical, autoimmune, vascular and tumorous disorders, a traumatic cause was highly probable considering the patient's history of craniocerebral injury. A rapid elimination of such a fistula is necessary in order to prevent long-term damage. However it is important to consider the possible complications due to the intervention, in our case the risk of a hyperperfusion syndrome with a consecutive cerebral hemorrhage.