Malformaciones arteriovenosas durales del seno longitudinal superior y la hoz cerebral. Presentación de cinco casos

[Intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulae. Experience after 81 cases and literature review]

OBJECTIVES

To analyse the clinical, radiological and therapeutic variables of intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulae (DAVF) treated at our institution, and to assess the validity of the Borden and Cognard classifications and their correlation with the presenting symptoms.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The DAVF identified were retrospectively analysed. They were classified according to their location, drainage pattern and the Borden and Cognard classifications. We recorded the different treatments, their complications and efficacy.

RESULTS

There were 81DAVF identified between 1975 and 2012. The cavernous sinus (CS) location was the most frequent one. The Borden and Cognard classifications showed an interobserver Kappa index of 0.72 and 0.76 respectively. The odds ratio of aggressive presentation in the presence of cortical venous drainage (CVD) was 19.3 (2.8-132.4). No location, once adjusted by venous drainage pattern, showed significant association with an aggressive presentation. Endovascular transarterial treatment of cavernous sinus DAVF achieved symptomatic improvement of 78%, with a complication rate of 5%. The DAVF of non-CS locations, with CVD, treated surgically were angiographically shown cured in 100% of the cases, with no treatment-related complications.

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of CVD was significantly associated with aggressive presentations. The Borden and Cognard classifications showed little interobserver variability. Endovascular treatment for CS DAVF is safe and relatively effective. Surgical treatment of non-CS DAVF with CVD is safe, effective and the first choice treatment in our environment.

Intraventricular haemorrhage caused by the rupture of a dural arteriovenous malformation of the middle cranial fossa

Dural arteriovenous malformations of the middle cranial fossa are very rare. Venous drainage flows either through superficial leptomeningeal veins or through the sphenoparietal, sphenopetrous and/or sphenobasilar sinuses. They often have an aggressive course and therefore poor outcome. It is essential to analyse and understand the angioarchitecture of the dural arteriovenous malformations in order to select and plan the correct treatments. We describe an exceptional case of intraventricular haemorrhage caused by the rupture of a dural arteriovenous malformation of the middle cranial fossa. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of such characteristics described in the literature.