ABSTRACT
Carotid cavernous fistula (CCF) is an abnormal communication between the internal carotid artery (ICA) and the cavernous sinus. Direct CCF represents one specific form of CCF with high-pressure arterial blood entering the low-pressure venous cavernous sinus, most commonly via a single hole in the cavernous segment of the ICA (Fig. 1). In contrast, the other variety of CCF has been coined an ‘‘indirect’’ CCF and is characterized by a nidus of dural arterioles (1-3). Indirect CCF is described more fully in another chapter.
