JUST ANOTHER RED EYE. ROLE OF AN OPHTHALMOLOGIST. A CASE OF CAROTICOCAVERNOUS FISTULA

An adult male presented with redness in left eye and fullness of left upper lid for 6 months. On examination dilated, tortuous, corkscrewing of conjunctival and episcleral vessels were noted with tortuous dilated retinal vessels. He was found to be an undiagnosed hypertensive and neuroimaging done showed low flow type of indirect carotico cavernous fistula (CCF). Antihypertensives and periodical review was advised. This case is presented to stress the importance of correct diagnosis of CCF since Ophthalmologist may be the first physician to encounter a patient with clinical manifestations of CCF and if left undiagnosed leads to delayed treatment and progression. It is also to stress the importance of identifying the underlying aetiology like hypertension as in our case, the control of which would have prevented such complications.