Ophthalmic artery fed by posterior communicating artery after trapping of the internal carotid artery

The authors report a 50-year-old man with a ruptured large carotid-ophthalmic aneurysm on the right side and an unruptured anterior communicating artery (A Com) aneurysm. The A Comm aneurysm was clipped and the carotid-ophthalmic aneurysm was managed by combining internal carotid artery (ICA) trapping with an interposed radial artery graft from the external carotid artery (ECA) to the middle cerebral artery (MCA). The patient had an uncomplicated postoperative recovery. Postoperative carotid angiography demonstrated no aneurysms and excellent flow through the bypass graft. Postoperative vertebral angiography showed the right ophthalmic artery to be fed by the posterior communicating artery. It is speculated that collateral circulation from the angular artery of the ECA to the ophthalmic artery did not develop because of high flow graft from the ECA to MCA and ICA trapping.