title: Spontaneous arteriovenous fistula of the vertebral artery. Three case reports.
abstract: Three cases of spontaneous arteriovenous fistulas of the vertebral artery (VAF) are reported. In one case the only symptom was a cervical bruit; in the other two cases, symptoms of multiple cervical radiculopathy were also observed. Definitive diagnostic findings were obtained by Doppler ultrasonography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and angiography. Clinical signs of radiculopathy disappeared after endovascular balloon occlusion of the fistula, in about 1 month. In one case the vertebral artery was occluded without clinical consequences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Neurosurgery, Pisa University, Pisa, Italy. acerbi@iol.it
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Acerbi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Padolecchia
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Orlandi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Acerbi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Puglioli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Parenti
mesh_terms: D001164:Arteriovenous Fistula / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D018617:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Pulsed; D014711:Vertebral Artery