[Occlusion of the central retinal artery following injection of embolizing material (author's transl)]

The injection of a suspension of hydrocortisone into a keloidal scar of the nose of a 72 year-old man and of a foamy solution of hydroxypolyethoxydodecane into a little haemangioma situated above the right eyebrow of a 29 year-old woman was followed by sudden blindness of the homolateral eye in each case. This is basically explained by the involuntary injection of embolizing material into the anastomoses between the external and internal carotid arteries within the orbit. Therefore, the injection of embolizing material into the skin of the face should be avoided.