ACQUIRED CAROTID-CAVERNOUS FISTULA CAUSED BY TRAUMATIC INTRACAVERNOUSRUPTURE OF AN EMBRYONIC ANASTOMOSIS

This case of traumatic carotid-cavernous fistula was caused by rupture of a peculiar ipsilateral intracavernous anastomosis between the acce ssory meningeal artery and the redundant deep recurrent ophthalmic art ery, In the opposite cavernous sinus there was an obvious anastomosis between the accessory meningeal artery and the ophthalmic artery, prob ably located in the lateral part of the cavernous sinus, The patient w as successfully treated with transarterial embolization followed by su rgery of the cavernous sinus. In light of the vascular embryology, it is possible that unusual embryonic connections between the primitive d orsal ophthalmic artery and the accessory meningeal artery already exi sted in both cavernous sinus areas.