title: Intracranial and Spinal Dural Arterio-Venous Fistula (DAVF): A Surgical Series of 107 Patients.
abstract: Dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs) is a challenging condition in vascular neurosurgery. Development of new endovascular techniques has progressively modified treatment strategies; however, surgery is still considered a valid option of treatment of this pathology.
  
  
  
  From a retrospective analysis of our database, we selected 107 patients who underwent surgical treatment for DAVFs. Patients were grouped into five categories according to the Borden and Cognard classifications. Patients and treatment characteristics/outcome is reported.
  
  
  
  At admission, 30 (28 %) patients presented with intracranial hemorrhage. Fifteen (14 %) had seizure, whereas nearly half of the patients presented with non-aggressive symptoms, including headache (10, 9.3 %), cognitive impairment (8, 7.5 %), gait disturbance, and imbalance (8, 7.5 %). The majority of patients underwent surgical treatment of fistulas; in some cases, we elected combined surgical-endovascular (obliteration) treatment.
  
  
  
  Management of DAVF requires a multidisciplinary assessment and treatment strategies including surgical, endovascular, and radiosurgical treatment. The data reported confirmed that surgical treatment of DAVFs is associated with a good clinical and radiological (complete occlusion of the fistula) outcome in all cases, with a low rate of complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Civil Hospital, Alessandria, Italy. aleberto@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bertuccio
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences Critical Care, Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Robba
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Neurosurgery, Spedali Civili and University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Giannantonio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Spena
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Civil Hospital, Alessandria, Italy.
authors.forename: Pietro Primo
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Versari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D020785:Central Nervous System Vascular Malformations / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D000072226:Computed Tomography Angiography; D016208:Databases, Factual; D057510:Endovascular Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D023261:Glasgow Outcome Scale; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D002538:Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D020300:Intracranial Hemorrhages / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012640:Seizures / Q000209:etiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: Dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVF); Hemorrhage; Spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas