title: A Survey of Chronic Pain Due to Spinal Dural Arteriovenous Fistulae.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic pain due to spinal dural arteriovenous fistulae (SDAVF) during follow-up is a serious issue because it can affect patients' quality of life. The severity of posttreatment chronic leg pain in patients with SDAVF is unclear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prevalence, severity, and characteristics of chronic leg pain in patients with SDAVF and to examine the clinical factors associated with chronic pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a survey of their chronic posttreatment leg pain in 49 SDAVF patients. It consisted of a numeric rating scale and a neuropathic pain symptom inventory (NPSI). Of the 49 patients, 32 (65.3%) completed the questionnaire. There were 24 males and 8 females whose mean age was 69.1 years. The mean follow-up period was 86.3 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Chronic leg pain was reported by 26 (81.3%) of 32 patients; 14 experienced pain before treatment and 12 had new-onset posttreatment pain. The pain was reported as moderate to severe by 21 (80.8%) of 26 patients; the mean numeric rating scale and NPSI scores were 6.0 ± 2.3 and 17.4 ± 10.3, respectively. The NPSI subscores were significantly higher for spontaneous pain and paresthesia/dysesthesia than for paroxysmal pain. We found no significant clinical factors related to chronic posttreatment pain; on magnetic resonance imaging scans we identified spinal cord atrophy in 8 patients with chronic pain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most of our SDAVF patients reported moderate to severe chronic leg pain characterized by spontaneous pain and paresthesia/dysesthesia. Spinal cord atrophy on magnetic resonance imaging scans was a characteristic in patients with chronic pain.
authors: *Department of Neurosurgery, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan; ‡Sapporo Azabu Neurosurgical Hospital, Sapporo, Japan.
authors: Toru
authors: T
authors: Sasamori
authors: Kazutoshi
authors: K
authors: Hida
authors: Toshiya
authors: T
authors: Osanai
authors: Shunsuke
authors: S
authors: Yano
authors: Toshitaka
authors: T
authors: Seki
authors: Kiyohiro
authors: K
authors: Houkin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D020785:Central Nervous System Vascular Malformations / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires