Treatment of a Small Hole Post-traumatic Carotid-Cavernous Fistula with a Non-Detachable Balloon Catheter. A Technical Note

Abstract

Transarterial detachable balloon embolisation has become a well established primary treatment of post-traumatic carotid cavernous fistula (CCF) (1-3). However, in some instances due to the complexity of the fistula, the treatment can be difficult or impossibile. A simple and useful technique using a non-detachable balloon catheter to easily navigate the riilcrocatheter into the fistula via the transarterial route is discussed in this paper. The non-detachable balloon catheter allows easy navigation of the micro catheter into the small hole fistula, and complete occlusion of the fistula was obtained using one interlocking detachable coil (IDC) in the draining veins. The method of using a non-detachable balloon catheter to navigate a micro catheter into a fistula is relatively easy via the transarterial route.