Journal of the Korean Balance Society  2006;5(2):307-310

A Case of Carotid Cavernous Fistula Presenting with "Delayed Red-Eyed Shunts".

Ki Bum SUNG 1 ; Won Hee CHUNG ; Jeong Ho PARK ; Dae Ho KIM

Affiliations

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Keywords

Carotid cavernous sinus fistula; Ocular motor nerve palsy

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

Korean

Abstract

Presenting symptoms of carotid cavernous fistulas (CCF) may vary according to the draining vessels. Prominent external orbito-ocular signs such as red eye, proptosis, ocular bruit occur, when the shunt drains anteriorly ("red-eyed shunts"), whereas an isolated ocular motor nerve palsy and headache can be the only presenting symptoms when it drains posteriorly ("white-eyed shunts"). Turning the eyes red from white eyed-shunt weeks to months ("delayed red-eyed shunts") suggest the direction of fistula drainage shifted anteriorly; it has rarely been reported. We report a patient with delayed red-eyed shunts whose red eye resolved after chemical embolization of draining vessels.