Post-traumatic lethal carotid-cavernous fistula.
The authors report about an unexpected death by traumatic lesion of the internal carotid artery in a 30-year-old man who had fallen two metres. The man suffered a fracture of the left maxillary sinus and a fracture of the right orbit with bilateral haemorrhage of the maxillary sinus. Surgical treatment was performed with favorable outcome. Clinically, there were no neurological symptoms but about 60 days after his accident, the man died from uncontrolled epistaxis. He was submitted to the autopsy that show a linear fracture in the left side of the turcic sella and lesion of the left internal carotid artery with carotid-cavernous fistula.
Argo
Antonina
A
University of Palermo, Department of Legal Medicine, Via del Vespro, 127, 90129 Palermo, Italy. antonella.argo@libero.it
Bono
Giovanna
G
Zerbo
Stefania
S
Triolo
Valentina
V
Liotta
Rosa
R
Procaccianti
Paolo
P
D000058:Accidental Falls; D000328:Adult; D020212:Carotid Artery Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000473:pathology*; D020216:Carotid-Cavernous Sinus Fistula / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D004844:Epistaxis / Q000209:etiology; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008440:Maxillary Fractures / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D008443:Maxillary Sinus / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology; D009917:Orbital Fractures / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D012658:Sella Turcica / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology