title: Rare giant traumatic cervical arteriovenous fistula in neurofibromatosis type 1 patient.
abstract: Arteriovenous fistulas can rarely occur in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1. These lesions typically result from traumatic insult to the dysplastic parent artery. The damaged artery forms abnormal connections with nearby paraspinal and epidural venous structures. Surgical treatment of these lesions can be extremely challenging given the proximity to the spinal cord and the ability of the fistula to recruit vessels from adjacent vascular structures. A 29-year-old woman with neurofibromatosis type 1 and a motor vehicle collision 2 years earlier presented with gait difficulty, lower extremity spasticity and neck and arm pain. Her investigation revealed a giant cervical vertebral arteriovenous fistula. The fistula was successfully treated in multiple stages using all endovascular techniques including detachable coils, stents and glue embolisation. Reduction in flow and improvement in symptoms are reasonable goals in this specific rare subgroup of complex cervical arteriovenous fistulae.
authors: Neurosurgery Department, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Health Sciences University, Augusta, Georgia, USA.
authors: Douglas G
authors: DG
authors: Hughes
authors: Cargill H
authors: CH
authors: Alleyne
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000328:Adult; D000792:Angiography; D001164:Arteriovenous Fistula / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009456:Neurofibromatosis 1 / Q000150:complications*; D015607:Stents; D057772:Vascular System Injuries / Q000150:complications; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*