Intraorbital arteriovenous fistulae of the ophthalmic veins treated by transvenous endovascular occlusion: technical case report.

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Intraorbital arteriovenous fistulas (AVF) of the ophthalmic veins are an extremely rare phenomenon. This article describes two such cases treated solely by transvenous occlusion and not hitherto described in the literature.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Two women, aged 51 and 63 years old, presented with proptosis and chemosis mimicking a carotid-cavernous fistula. In both cases, cerebral angiography revealed an intraorbital dural AVF of the superior and inferior ophthalmic vein, respectively. Both patients underwent transvenous ablation of the dural AVF retrograde via the facial vein and subsequently had complete resolution of the presenting symptoms.

CONCLUSION: Ophthalmic vein fistulas are a rare form of AVF with presenting symptoms mimicking those of carotid cavernous fistulae. This report describes two cases of ophthalmic vein fistulas successfully treated and angiographically obliterated via transvenous embolization with resolution of the patient's presenting symptoms.