Penetrative Injury to the Face Resulting in Delayed Death After Rupture of a Cavernous Sinus Aneurysm on the Contralateral Side.

Delayed deaths after assault give rise to medicolegal issues such as whether the assault was directly responsible, did it contribute or was it totally unrelated to the death. We present the case of a patient who sustained penetrative trauma to the face resulting in the formation of a contralateral, carotid-cavernous fistula, which resulted in aneurysm formation, delayed rupture, and death. A literature search failed to find a similar case.