TY - JOUR
T1 - External carotid-cavernous fistula in infancy
T2 - Case report and review of the literature
AU - Pang, D.
AU - Kerber, C.
AU - Biglan, A. W.
AU - Ahn, H. S.
PY - 1981
Y1 - 1981
N2 - A case of external carotid-cavernous fistula in a 7-week-old infant is presented. Unlike post-traumatic internal carotid-cavernous fistulas, most of these dural fistulas are low flow, low pressure shunts with a benign and chronic clinical course, sometimes ending in spontaneous closure. In adults and older children, meticulous follow-up of visual symptoms and signs may be adequate management. The only indication for aggressive therapy is progressive visual failure, which occurs rarely. In infants and visually immature children, however, persistent proptosis and intraocular hypertension can lead to anisometropic amblyopia, the prevention of which deserves urgent therapeutic intervention. In our patient, therapeutic embolization led to an uncomplicated clinical and angiographic cure. The vascular anatomy, the pathophysiology of associated visual failure, and the treatment modalities are reviewed.
AB - A case of external carotid-cavernous fistula in a 7-week-old infant is presented. Unlike post-traumatic internal carotid-cavernous fistulas, most of these dural fistulas are low flow, low pressure shunts with a benign and chronic clinical course, sometimes ending in spontaneous closure. In adults and older children, meticulous follow-up of visual symptoms and signs may be adequate management. The only indication for aggressive therapy is progressive visual failure, which occurs rarely. In infants and visually immature children, however, persistent proptosis and intraocular hypertension can lead to anisometropic amblyopia, the prevention of which deserves urgent therapeutic intervention. In our patient, therapeutic embolization led to an uncomplicated clinical and angiographic cure. The vascular anatomy, the pathophysiology of associated visual failure, and the treatment modalities are reviewed.
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U2 - 10.1227/00006123-198102000-00011
DO - 10.1227/00006123-198102000-00011
M3 - Article
C2 - 7207787
AN - SCOPUS:0019428365
SN - 0148-396X
VL - 8
SP - 212
EP - 218
JO - Neurosurgery
JF - Neurosurgery
IS - 2
ER -