A variant of arteriovenous fistulas within the wall of dural sinuses. Results of combined surgical and endovascular therapy

1991 ◽  
Vol 74 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanley L. Barnwell ◽  
Van V. Halbach ◽  
Christopher F. Dowd ◽  
Randall T. Higashida ◽  
Grant B. Hieshima ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Venous Drainage ◽  
Venous Hypertension ◽  
Neurological Dysfunction ◽  
Dural Sinus ◽  
Unique Type ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Av Fistula ◽  
Arteriovenous Fistulas ◽  
Av Fistulas ◽  
Cortical Venous Drainage

✓ Dural arteriovenous (AV) fistulas are thought to be acquired lesions that form in an area of thrombosis within a sinus. If the sinus remains completely thrombosed, venous drainage from these lesions occurs through cortical veins, or, if the sinus is open, venous drainage is usually into the involved sinus. Among 105 patients with dural A V fistulas evaluated over the the past 5 years, seven had a unique type of dural AV fistula in the superior sagittal, transverse, or straight sinus in which only cortical venous drainage occurred despite a patent involved sinus; the fistula was located within the wall of a patent dural sinus, but outflow was not into the involved sinus. This variant of dural AV fistulas puts the patient at serious risk for hemorrhage or neurological dysfunction caused by venous hypertension. Three patients presented with hemorrhage, one with progressive neurological dysfunction, one with seizures, and two with bruit and headaches. A combination of surgical and endovascular techniques was used to close the fistula while preserving flow through the sinus.

Endovascular treatment of intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulas with spinal perimedullary venous drainage

1992 ◽  
Vol 77 (5) ◽  
pp. 718-723 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Pierre Gobin ◽  
Andre Rogopoulos ◽  
Armand Aymard ◽  
Mazen Khayata ◽  
Daniel Reizine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endovascular Treatment ◽  
Endovascular Therapy ◽  
Sinus Thrombosis ◽  
Venous Drainage ◽  
Transverse Sinus ◽  
Venous Hypertension ◽  
Arterial Phase ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Arteriovenous Fistulas ◽  
Av Fistulas

✓ Intracranial dural arteriovenous (AV) fistulas with spinal perimedullary venous drainage are rare lesions that have distinctive clinical, radiological, and therapeutic aspects. Five patients presented with an ascending myelopathy, which extended to involve the brain stem in three cases. Myelography and magnetic resonance imaging showed slightly dilated spinal perimedullary vessels. Spinal angiograms were normal in the arterial phase. Diagnosis was only possible after cerebral angiography, which demonstrated posterior fossa AV fistulas fed by meningeal arteries and draining into spinal perimedullary veins. Endovascular treatment alone resulted in angiographic obliteration of the lesion in three patients. Two patients required surgery in addition to endovascular therapy. One patient died postoperatively, and in one a transient complication of embolization was observed. Improvement after treatment was good in two cases and fair in two. Transverse sinus thrombosis was observed in three cases and was probably the cause of the aberrant venous drainage of the fistula into the spinal perimedullary veins. The pathophysiology is related to spinal cord venous hypertension. These lesions were classified as Type 5 in the Djindjian and Merland classification of dural intracranial AV fistulas. Endovascular therapy is a safe effective method in the treatment of these fistulas and should be tried first.

Advances in Surgical Approaches to Dural Fistulas

Neurosurgery ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 74 (suppl_1) ◽  
pp. S32-S41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick P. Youssef ◽  
Albert Jess Schuette ◽  
C. Michael Cawley ◽  
Daniel L. Barrow
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Options ◽  
Venous Drainage ◽  
Venous Hypertension ◽  
Surgical Approaches ◽  
Dural Sinus ◽  
Intraoperative Angiography ◽  
Indocyanine Green Videoangiography ◽  
Arteriovenous Fistulas ◽  
The Past ◽  
Dural Arteriovenous Fistulas

Abstract Dural arteriovenous fistulas are abnormal connections of dural arteries to dural veins or venous sinuses originating from within the dural leaflets. They are usually located near or within the wall of a dural venous sinus that is frequently obstructed or stenosed. The dural fistula sac is contained within the dural leaflets, and drainage can be via a dural sinus or retrograde through cortical veins (leptomeningeal drainage). Dural arteriovenous fistulas can occur at any dural sinus but are found most frequently at the cavernous or transverse sinus. Leptomeningeal venous drainage can lead to venous hypertension and intracranial hemorrhage. The various treatment options include transarterial and transvenous embolization, stereotactic radiosurgery, and open surgery. Although many of the advances in dural arteriovenous fistula treatment have occurred in the endovascular arena, open microsurgical advances in the past decade have primarily been in the tools available to the surgeon. Improvements in microsurgical and skull base approaches have allowed surgeons to approach and obliterate fistulas with little or no retraction of the brain. Image-guided systems have also allowed better localization and more efficient approaches. A better understanding of the need to simply obliterate the venous drainage at the site of the fistula has eliminated the riskier resections of the past. Finally, the use of intraoperative angiography or indocyanine green videoangiography confirms the complete disconnection of fistula while the patient is still on the operating room table, preventing reoperation for residual fistulas.

Surgical interruption of leptomeningeal drainage as treatment for intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulas without dural sinus drainage

1996 ◽  
Vol 84 (5) ◽  
pp. 810-817 ◽  
Author(s):  
Massimo Collice ◽  
Giuseppe D'Aliberti ◽  
Giuseppe Talamonti ◽  
Vincenzo Branca ◽  
Edoardo Boccardi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Arterial Embolization ◽  
Venous Drainage ◽  
Dural Sinus ◽  
Consecutive Series ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Arteriovenous Fistulas ◽  
Venous Sinuses ◽  
Fatal Hemorrhage ◽  
Dural Arteriovenous Fistulas ◽  
Leptomeningeal Drainage

✓ Intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) have been recognized as acquired lesions that can behave aggressively depending on the pattern of venous drainage. Based on the type of venous drainage, they can be classified as fistulas drained only by venous sinuses, those drained by venous sinuses with retrograde flow in arterialized leptomeningeal veins, and fistulas drained solely by arterialized leptomeningeal veins. Serious symptoms, including hemorrhage and focal deficit, are related to the presence of arterialized leptomeningeal veins. In this paper, the authors report a consecutive series treated between 1988 and 1993 of 20 cases of intracranial dural AVFs with “pure leptomeningeal drainage.” All patients underwent surgical interruption of the leptomeningeal draining veins. Based on the arterial supply, nine patients were managed by direct surgery, whereas 11 patients were prepared for surgery by means of preoperative arterial embolization. Radioanatomical cure of the fistula and good neurological recovery were achieved in 18 cases. Complete obliteration of the fistula was documented angiographically in two cases, but fatal hemorrhage occurred, probably due to partial thrombosis of the venous drainage. Based on this experience, the authors believe that surgical interruption of the draining veins is the best treatment option for intracranial dural AVFs. However, surgical results may be affected by the extension of postoperative thrombosis, which in turn may be related to the degree of preoperative venous engorgement.

Multiplicity of dural arteriovenous fistulas

2002 ◽  
Vol 96 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Marc C. Van Dijk ◽  
Karel G. TerBrugge ◽  
Robert A. Willinsky ◽  
M. Christopher Wallace
Keyword(s):  
Venous Drainage ◽  
Entire Group ◽  
Additional Risk ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Arteriovenous Fistulas ◽  
Bilateral Involvement ◽  
Dural Arteriovenous Fistulas ◽  
Cortical Venous Drainage ◽  
Risk Of Hemorrhage ◽  
Fine Print

Object. Dural arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) are a well-known pathoanatomical and clinical entity. Excluding bilateral involvement of the cavernous sinus, multiple dural AVFs are rare, with isolated reports in the literature. The additional risk associated with multiplicity is unknown, although it has been claimed that there is a greater risk of hemorrhage at presentation. In a group of 284 patients with dural AVFs consecutively treated at a single center, the occurrence of multiplicity is investigated and its risk factors for hemorrhage are identified. Methods. Among the 284 patients with both cranial and spinal dural AVFs, 20 patients with multiple fistulas were found. Nineteen (8.1%) of 235 patients with cranial AVFs had multiple cranial fistulas, and one (2%) of 49 patients with spinal AVFs harbored two spinal fistulas. Twelve patients were found to have a lesion at two separate sites, seven patients had them at three locations, and one patient had four fistulas, each at a different site. In the subgroup with multiple AVFs the percentage of hemorrhage at presentation was three times higher than in the entire group (p = 0.01). Cortical venous drainage in cranial fistulas was present in 84% of patients with multiple lesions compared with 46% of patients with solitary lesions (p < 0.005). Conclusions. Multiple dural AVFs are not rare. In this group of 284 patients it was found in 8.1% of all patients with cranial dural AVFs. Multiplicity was associated with a higher percentage of cortical venous drainage, a pattern of drainage reportedly yielding a higher risk for hemorrhage.

Reversible acute and subacute myelopathy in patients with dural arteriovenous fistulas

1989 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 354-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory R. Criscuolo ◽  
Edward H. Oldfield ◽  
John L. Doppman
Keyword(s):  
Surgical Techniques ◽  
Venous Congestion ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Av Fistula ◽  
Arteriovenous Fistulas ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Dural Arteriovenous Fistulas ◽  
Av Malformation ◽  
Av Fistulas ◽  
Spinal Cord Dysfunction

✓ Acute or subacute neurological deterioration without evidence of hemorrhage in a patient with a spinal arteriovenous (AV) malformation has been referred to as “Foix-Alajouanine syndrome.” This clinical entity has been considered to be the result of progressive vascular thrombosis resulting in a necrotic myelopathy; it has therefore been thought to be largely irreversible and hence untreatable. The authors report five patients with dural AV fistulas who presented in this manner, and who improved substantially after embolic and surgical therapy. The outcome of these patients indicates that acute and subacute progression of myelopathy in cases of spinal dural AV fistulas may be caused by venous congestion and not necessarily by thrombosis. Therefore, a clinical diagnosis of Foix-Alajouanine syndrome is of little practical use, as spinal cord dysfunction from venous congestion is a potentially reversible process whereas thrombotic infarction is not. This diagnosis may result in suboptimal management. The recognition of nonhemorrhagic acute or subacute myelopathy as a complication of a spinal dural AV fistula is important since what appears to be irreversible cord injury is often treatable by standard surgical techniques.

Cranial and sacral dural arteriovenous fistulas as a cause of myelopathy

1992 ◽  
Vol 76 (4) ◽  
pp. 615-622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael D. Partington ◽  
Daniel A. Rüfenacht ◽  
W. Richard Marsh ◽  
David G. Piepgras
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Magnetic Resonance Images ◽  
Venous Hypertension ◽  
Spinal Cord Tissue ◽  
Pathophysiological Mechanism ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Av Fistula ◽  
Av Fistulas ◽  
Spinal Dural Av Fistula ◽  
Fine Print

✓ The authors report a series of seven patients with myelopathy who were found to have spinal dural arteriovenous (AV) fistulas in which the nidus was located at some distance from the spinal cord. The nidus was intracranial in three cases and involved a sacral nerve root sheath in the other four, in each case, the arterialized draining vein led into the coronal plexus of medullary veins. A lack of normal draining radicular veins was noted in all cases. Magnetic resonance images were obtained in four patients and demonstrated spinal cord tissue changes only in the lower thoracic cord in three cases and in the cervical cord in one, all consistent with an ischemic process secondary to venous hypertension. Five patients were managed surgically by division of the draining vein, with improvement of the neurological deficit in all. One patient was treated by embolization alone and had stabilization of her deficit. The remaining patient in the series died of unrelated systemic disease before the spinal dural AV fistula could be treated. These cases support the theory that venous hypertension is the dominant pathophysiological mechanism involved in spinal dural AV fistulas independent of their location. In patients with a suspected spinal dural AV fistula, lumbar and thoracic spinal angiography will reveal the site of the fistula in the majority of cases (88% in this series). In the remaining patients, the possibility of a remote fistula must be considered. The lack of normal venous drainage of the cord following injection in the artery of Adamkiewicz is the most reliable indicator of venous hypertension in the cord and can be helpful in making the decision to proceed with a search for a cranial or sacral arterial supply.

Radiological and pathological aspects of dural arteriovenous fistulas

1986 ◽  
Vol 64 (6) ◽  
pp. 962-967 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas A. Graeb ◽  
Clarisse L. Dolman
Keyword(s):  
Superior Sagittal Sinus ◽  
Blood Clot ◽  
Pathological Examination ◽  
Pathological Findings ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Av Fistula ◽  
Arteriovenous Fistulas ◽  
Sagittal Sinus ◽  
Dural Arteriovenous Fistulas ◽  
Av Fistulas

✓ A case of dural arteriovenous (AV) fistula is presented with detailed radiological and pathological findings. The complex hemodynamic alterations that may result from dural AV fistulas are described. Pathological examination in this case demonstrated widespread occlusion of the superior sagittal sinus with multiple abnormal fistulous communications between abnormal arteries and arterialized veins. A portion of the lesion resembled a recanalized blood clot, in support of the theory proposed by others that dural AV fistulas are acquired lesions.

Myelopathy due to intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulas draining intrathecally into spinal medullary veins

1988 ◽  
Vol 69 (6) ◽  
pp. 934-939 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles J. Wrobel ◽  
Edward H. Oldfield ◽  
Giovanni Di Chiro ◽  
Edward C. Tarlov ◽  
Richard A. Baker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Venous Hypertension ◽  
External Carotid ◽  
Pathophysiological Mechanism ◽  
Partial Recovery ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Av Fistula ◽  
Progressive Myelopathy ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Av Fistulas

✓ Arteriovenous malformations (AVM's) of the spine commonly cause progressive myelopathy. Occasionally, myelography reveals serpentine filling defects characteristic of a spinal AVM, but an AVM or arteriovenous (AV) fistula cannot be demonstrated arteriographically, despite selective catheterization of all vessels known to have the potential of supplying the spinal cord and spinal dura. Often, and particularly in the setting of subacute or acute deterioration, this has been attributed to spontaneous thrombosis of the veins (the Foix-Alajouanine syndrome). Three patients are reported in whom intracranial dural AV fistulas, supplied by branches of the internal and external carotid arteries, drained into spinal veins and produced myelopathy. In one patient, motor and sensory deficits were limited to the lower extremities. In all three patients, disconnection of the fistula from its spinal venous drainage permitted arrest of a rapidly progressive myelopathy and partial recovery. These findings indicate that some patients who appear to have spinal cord AVM's but exhibit negative spinal arteriography are suffering from cranial dural AV fistulas and therefore need carotid as well as spinal arteriography. The considerable distance of these fistulas from the level of neurological expression supports venous hypertension as a pathophysiological mechanism of spinal cord injury. Interruption of a cranial dural fistula draining into spinal veins permits recovery of the myelopathy.

Neurological manifestations of intracranial dural arteriovenous malformations

1986 ◽  
Vol 64 (5) ◽  
pp. 724-730 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Lasjaunias ◽  
Ming Chiu ◽  
Karel Ter Brugge ◽  
Atul Tolia ◽  
Michel Hurth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Sinus Thrombosis ◽  
Venous Drainage ◽  
Venous Hypertension ◽  
Clinical Aspects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sagittal Sinus ◽  
Cortical Venous Drainage ◽  
Base Of The Skull ◽  
Fine Print

✓ The authors describe their experience with four cases of dural arteriovenous malformation (AVM) which led them to analyze the clinical aspects of these lesions in an attempt to understand their pathophysiology. An additional 191 previously reported cases of dural AVM's were reviewed with special attention to the mechanism of intradural, central, and peripheral nervous system manifestations. Apart from the peripheral cranial nerve symptoms, which are most likely due to arterial steal, the central nervous system (CNS) symptoms appear to be related to passive venous hypertension and/or congestion. Generalized CNS symptoms can be related to cerebrospinal fluid malabsorption due either to increased pressure in the superior sagittal sinus, to venous sinus thrombosis, or to meningeal reaction resulting from minimal subarachnoid hemorrhages. These phenomena are not related to the anatomical type of venous drainage. On the other hand, focal CNS symptoms are specifically indicative of cortical venous drainage. Seizures, transient ischemic attacks, motor weakness, and brain-stem and cerebellar symptoms can be encountered depending on the territory of the draining vein or veins. Therefore, the localizing value of focal CNS symptomatology relates to the venous territory and not to the nidus or to the arterial supply characteristics of dural AVM's. Furthermore, the venous patterns of various dural AVM's at the base of the skull are expressed by differences in their clinical presentation. Dural AVM's of the floor of the anterior cranial fossa and of the tentorium are almost always drained by the cortical veins and, therefore, have a high risk of intradural bleeding. The remarkable similarities in the manifestations of dural and brain AVM's and the differences in the manifestations of dural and spinal dural AVM's are pointed out. High-quality angiograms and a multidisciplinary approach to the study of dural AVM's will provide the best understanding of their symptoms and, therefore, the most appropriate treatment strategy.

The role of radiosurgery and particulate embolization in the treatment of dural arteriovenous fistulas

1996 ◽  
Vol 84 (5) ◽  
pp. 804-809 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Link ◽  
Robert J. Coffey ◽  
Douglas A. Nichols ◽  
Deborah A. Gorman
Keyword(s):  
Latency Period ◽  
Venous Drainage ◽  
External Carotid Artery ◽  
External Carotid ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Arteriovenous Fistulas ◽  
Ocular Symptoms ◽  
Dural Arteriovenous Fistulas ◽  
Feeding Vessels ◽  
Cortical Venous Drainage

✓ Over the past 5 years 29 patients with dural arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) were treated by the authors using the Leksell radiosurgical gamma knife unit. Within 2 days after radiosurgery, 17 patients with AVFs that exhibited retrograde pial or cortical venous drainage (12 patients) and/or produced intractable bruit (eight patients) underwent particulate embolization of external carotid feeding vessels. The rationale for this treatment strategy was that radiosurgery was expected to cause obliteration of most fistulas after 12 to 36 months. In patients with bruit, ocular symptoms, or in those at risk for hemorrhage, treatment with embolization after radiosurgery kept the fistulas angiographically visible for radiosurgical targeting yet offered palliation of symptoms and temporary, partial protection from hemorrhage during the latency period. In 12 patients, preobliteration embolization immediately reduced (10 patients) or eliminated (two patients) retrograde pial venous drainage. To date, no lesion has hemorrhaged after treatment. Angiography 1 to 3 years posttreatment in 18 patients showed total obliteration of 13 fistulas (72%) and partial obliteration of five (28%). Radiosurgery, followed by embolization when retrograde pial venous drainage, intractable bruit, and/or major external carotid artery supply is present, appears to be a promising treatment for selected patients with symptomatic dural AVFs.

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