title: Intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulas: classification, imaging findings, and treatment.
abstract: Intracranial DAVFs are pathologic dural-based shunts and account for 10%-15% of all intracranial arteriovenous malformations. These malformations derive their arterial supply primarily from meningeal vessels, and the venous drainage is either via dural venous sinuses or through the cortical veins. DAVFs have a reported association with dural sinus thrombosis, venous hypertension, previous craniotomy, and trauma, though many lesions are idiopathic. The diagnosis is dependent on a high level of clinical suspicion and high-resolution imaging. Cross-sectional imaging techniques by using CT and MR imaging aid in the diagnosis, but conventional angiography remains the most accurate method for complete characterization and classification of DAVFs. The pattern of venous drainage observed on dynamic vascular imaging determines the type of DAVF and correlates with the severity of symptoms and the risk of hemorrhage.
authors.affiliation: Division of Interventional Neuroradiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA. dgandhi@umm.edu
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gandhi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pearl
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Gemmete
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kathuria
mesh_terms: D020785:Central Nervous System Vascular Malformations / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D002533:Cerebral Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*