Dural arteriovenous fistula presents like an ischemic stroke.
OBJECTIVE
We report the case of a patient with a dural arteriovenous fistula whose neurobehavioral syndrome was indistinguishable from that of an ischemic stroke.


BACKGROUND
Case studies of dural arteriovenous fistulas primarily describe global cognitive changes like dementia, but detailed neurocognitive evaluations of dural arteriovenous fistula patients are rarely reported.


METHODS
We provide a dural arteriovenous fistula case of a patient who presented with aphasia and other symptoms of stroke. Background history, serial neuropsychological data, and angiographic images are presented.


CONCLUSIONS
Serial neurocognitive data show the extent to which cognitive deficits are reversed with embolization. The case demonstrates that the mechanisms underlying neurocognitive deficits are specific to the fistula's unique hemodynamic features in addition to the location of the dural arteriovenous fistula.
Festa
Joanne R
JR
Department of Neurology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA. jf2128@columbia.edu
Lazar
Ronald M
RM
Marshall
Randolph S
RS
Pile-Spellman
John
J
Chong
Ji Y
JY
Duong
Hoang
H
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001037:Aphasia / Q000209:etiology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D020785:Central Nervous System Vascular Malformations / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology