Carotid-cavernous fistula following nasopharyngeal biopsy.

A middle-aged man with a cervical lymph node metastasis underwent nasopharyngeal biopsy in search of the primary tumor. Following biopsy his eye became swollen and painful with unilateral loss of vision. A carotid-cavernous fistula was demonstrated, as was deficient ossification at the base of the skull. The fistula was successfully treated with balloon embolization.