A rare case of sacral epidural arteriovenous fistula with concomitant occult multiple lumbar epidural arteriovenous fistulas.

Abstract

We describe a rare case of sacral epidural arteriovenous fistulas (edAVFs) with atypical clinical course of treatment. A 78-year-old man with a history of spinal surgery presented progressive gait disturbance and urinary incontinence. Spinal angiography demonstrated a sacral spinal AVF fed by bilateral lateral sacral arteries, draining to the venous pouch with subdural drainage. The first treatment by direct interruption of a subdural drainer was incompletely finished. Postoperative reassessment by 3D imaging analysis led to the diagnosis of sacral edAVF and 3D understanding of its angioarchitecture. The second treatment by transarterial embolization (TAE) resulted in complete occlusion of a sacral edAVF. However, spinal venous congestion didn't improve, because the recruitment of occult edAVFs at the multiple lumbar levels and complex-shaped sacral ventral epidural venous plexus (VEP) were involved in the remnant of prior subdural drainage. The third treatment was performed by TAE for three occult edAVFs and the VEP compartment connecting between a patent edAVF and subdural drainage, which resulted in complete disappearance of spinal cord edema. Endovascular embolization of VEP compartment connecting to subdural drainage in addition to fistulous occlusion may be one of the treatment options for several edAVFs at the multiple spinal levels.