Arteriovenous fistulae of the neuraxis: An institutional experience

Abstract

Introduction: Arteriovenous fistulae (AVF) are rare lesions. Patients typically present with slowly progressive myelopathy that is often mistaken for degenerative cervical or lumbar stenosis. Cranial presentations are even more innocuous ranging from seizures to tinnitus. The purpose of this study is to present a series of cases to aid in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of this unusual pathology. Case Series: We present 11 cases of AVFs treated at our centre over an 4-year period. Seventy percent of patients were male. The mean age of presentation was 62.6 years. The most common lesion was a dural AVF emanating from the craniovertebral junction with single feeder. All patients underwent either microsurgical correction or endovascular embolization as the primary procedure. Eight patients showed improvement following treatment as graded by the Nurick system. Two patients failed to improve. None of the patients worsened. One patient had a cortical venous thrombosis after embolization that resolved well with anticoagulants. Conclusion: The successful treatment of AVF requires a detailed understanding of clinical presentation and imaging findings to allow for precise treatment. Owing to the rarity of the condition, clinicians must continue to share their experiences to advance our knowledge.