Traumatic Blindness Due to Injury of Internal Carotid Artery Associated with Craniomaxillofacial Fracture.

Kang, Jun Mo; Byeon, Jun Hee

Case Report

Journal of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons 2003;30(3):351-354.
Published online May 1, 2003.

Traumatic Blindness Due to Injury of Internal Carotid Artery Associated with Craniomaxillofacial Fracture.

Department of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea. byeon@catholic.ac.kr

Abstract

A case of traumatic internal carotid artery injury associated with skull base fracture, Le Fort II fracture and mandible fracture after maxillofacial blunt trauma which resulted in delayed blindness is presented. This condition would appear to be a rare consquence of maxillofacial trauma. Internal carotid artery injury including dissection is an important consequence of blunt craniomaxillofacial trauma with potentially devastating consquences. It should be emphasized that skull base fracture involving the course of the internal carotid artery provides an important clue to significant vascular injury and, when present, provides the impetus for vascular imaging study.

Keywords: Traumatic internal carotid artery injury; Skull base fracture; Delayed blindness