A series of 54 traumatic carotid-cavernous fistulas has been treated with detachable balloon catheters. The balloon was introduced through one of three different approaches: the endarterial route; the venous route through the jugular vein, the inferior petrosal sinus, and the cavernous sinus; or surgical exposure of the cavernous sinus; with occlusion of the fistula by a detachable balloon directly positioned in the cavernous sinus. Full follow-up review demonstrated that the carotid blood flow was preserved in 59% of cases. The most frequent complication was a transient oculomotor nerve palsy, which occurred in 20% of cases. In three cases where both the fistula and the carotid artery were originally occluded by the balloon, the superior portion of the fistula was later found not to be completely occluded, and these patients had intracranial ligation of the supraclinoid portion of the carotid artery. Three patients had hemiparesis, transient in two cases and permanent in the other. The results show that the fistula was totally occluded in 53 cases; in the one exception the patient became asymptomatic but had a minimal angiographic leak.

Of the cerebral vascular lesions that can be treated with intravascular detachable balloon techniques, carotid-cavernous sinus fistulas and vertebro-vertebral fistulas have the best results. The great advantage of this technique is that the cerebral blood flow can usually be preserved after the occlusion of the fistula. The authors report 17 postraumatic carotid-cavernous sinus fistulas successfully treated with preservation of the carotid blood flow in 12 cases. None of the patients died, and the morbidity was limited to one case of third nerve palsy. The treatment of aneurysms by this method is, however, much more difficult and dangerous. Of 14 cases treated, seven good results were obtained. Two patients died and two had a poor outcome. The embolization of certain brain angiomas with calibrated-leak balloons using bucrylate promises to be important in the future.

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A rare case of widespread fibromuscular dysplasia (F.M.D.) is reported, involving the cervico-cephalic arteries associated with multiple dissections, saccular aneurysms and a carotid-cavernous fistula. A detailed post-mortem examination revealed FMD involvement of the intracranial vessels, not demonstrated by arteriography.

Experimental carotid jugular fistulas have been created in dogs and at a later time obstructed with an inflatable and released balloon. Experimental carotid aneurysms in dogs have also been obstructed with the same procedure. This new technique allows the inflation and release of a balloon in an arteriovenous fistula or in an aneurysm. The present case concerns a human vertebral fistula treated by this technique.