title: Intracranial dural fistulas with exclusive perimedullary drainage: the need for complete cerebral angiography for diagnosis and treatment planning.
abstract: Three patients are presented with slowly progressive tetraparesis caused by an intracranial dural arteriovenous fistula with exclusive perimedullary venous drainage. MR imaging showed a swollen cervicothoracic cord with central myelopathy and dilated perimedullary veins. Bilateral vertebral angiography initially failed to demonstrate the fistulas, and diagnosis was established with external carotid angiography. All 3 patients were successfully treated with glue embolization, 1 after failed surgical exploration. Angiographic cure of the fistula resulted in clinical cure in 1 patient and stabilization in 2 patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, St. Elisabeth Ziekenhuis, Tilburg, The Netherlands. radiol@knmg.nl
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: van Rooij
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sluzewski
authors.forename: G N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Beute
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D020785:Central Nervous System Vascular Malformations / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy*; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D002550:Cerebral Veins; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D004487:Edema / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy