# Delayed care in carotid-cavernous fistula due to the Covid-19 pandemic

## TL;DR

A patient with a carotid-cavernous fistula developed a serious complication due to delayed treatment during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic in Spain.

## Contribution

This case highlights the risks of delayed neurological care during public health crises like the Covid-19 pandemic.

## Key findings

- A delay in treating a carotid-cavernous fistula led to central retinal vein thrombosis.
- The delay was attributed to the healthcare system's strain during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic in Spain.

## Abstract

Direct carotid-cavernous fistula is a high-flow communication between the
internal carotid artery and the cavernous sinus that requires early
transarterial embolization for its resolution. We report a case of a patient
with a direct carotid-cavernous fistula who subsequently
developed a central retinal vein thrombosis due to a delay in
treatment related to the health collapse experienced in the first months of the
Covid-19 pandemic in Spain.