Traumatic carotid-cavernous fistula.

Carotid-cavernous fistulas are uncommon, although not rare, complications of trauma to the base of the skull; they may result in cranial nerve palsies, blindness, and occasionally in devastating subarachnoid hemorrhage. We have presented a case of carotid-cavernous fistula in a 17-year-old boy, treated successfully with balloon embolization. Although surgical treatment was advocated in the past, the low morbidity and high success rate of percutaneous balloon embolization currently make this the procedure of choice.