Teaching video neuroimages: pulsatile proptosis

Abstract

A 44-year-old man with neurofibromatosis type 1 had been aware that his right eye pulsated. His visual acuity was 20/15 in both eyes and his intraocular pressures were normal. He had 4 mm of right exophthalmos and there was pulse-synchronous pulsation of the right eye (video on the Neurology® Web site at www.neurology.org). No bruit was heard. Lisch nodules were present on both irides. CT showed a large osseous defect of the greater wing of the right sphenoid bone. The differential diagnosis of pulsatile proptosis includes absence of the sphenoid wing in patients with neurofibromatosis 1,(1) carotid-cavernous fistula, orbital roof fractures, and arteriovenous malformations.(2.)