Neuro-Ophthalmic Complications of Intracarotid Infusions

Intracarotid chemotherapy, with or without opening the Blood Brain Barrier, is being used more frequently for treating primary and metastatic tumors of the brain. There are only two reports of ophthalmic complications of such intracarotid therapies. Both attribute the complications to the direct toxic effects of the drugs used. We describe several neuro-ophthalmic syndromes caused by intracarotid chemotherapy and conclude that these were caused by the rapid carotid infusion itself, rather than the toxic effects of the drugs. Over a period of two years, 24 patients received 84 intracarotid infusions of chemotherapeutic drugs and mannitol.