Progressive versus Nonprogressive Intracranial Dural Arteriovenous Fistulas: Characteristics and Outcomes

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Of 579 patients with intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulas, 545 had 1 fistula and 34 (5.9%) had enlarging, de novo, multiple, or recurrent fistulas. Of those 34 patients, 19 had progressive dural arteriovenous fistulas with de novo fistulas or fistula enlargement. Angioarchitectural correlates to chronically elevated intracranial venous pressures, such as venous sinus dilation and pseudophlebitic cortical venous pattern, were more common in progressive disease. Three young patients died despite endovascular, surgical, and radiosurgical treatments.

Abstract

Multiple and progressive DAVFs. Same patient as in Fig 3. DSA images before treatment at our institution but 4 years after initial proximal coil embolization of external carotid artery feeders below the skull base at an outside institution demonstrate multiple skull base fistulas associated with venous hypertension, cortical venous reflux, venous sinus dilation, and a jugular bulb outflow stenosis (between white arrows). (Upper row: right vertebral artery lateral, right vertebral artery lateral, left vertebral artery anteroposterior; lower row: left ICA anteroposterior, left external carotid artery anteroposterior, left external carotid artery lateral). A middle meningeal artery to the torcular fistula indicated by the white arrows is shown in greater detail in Fig 5.
Multiple and progressive DAVFs. Same patient as in Fig 3. DSA images before treatment at our institution but 4 years after initial proximal coil embolization of external carotid artery feeders below the skull base at an outside institution demonstrate multiple skull base fistulas associated with venous hypertension, cortical venous reflux, venous sinus dilation, and a jugular bulb outflow stenosis (between white arrows). (Upper row: right vertebral artery lateral, right vertebral artery lateral, left vertebral artery anteroposterior; lower row: left ICA anteroposterior, left external carotid artery anteroposterior, left external carotid artery lateral). A middle meningeal artery to the torcular fistula indicated by the white arrows is shown in greater detail in Fig 5.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

A minority of intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulas progress with time. We sought to determine features that predict progression and define outcomes of patients with progressive dural arteriovenous fistulas.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We performed a retrospective imaging and clinical record review of patients with intracranial dural arteriovenous fistula evaluated at our hospital.

RESULTS

Of 579 patients with intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulas, 545 had 1 fistula (mean age, 45 ± 23 years) and 34 (5.9%) had enlarging, de novo, multiple, or recurrent fistulas (mean age, 53 ± 20 years; P = .11). Among these 34 patients, 19 had progressive dural arteriovenous fistulas with de novo fistulas or fistula enlargement with time (mean age, 36 ± 25 years; progressive group) and 15 had multiple or recurrent but nonprogressive fistulas (mean age, 57 ± 13 years; P = .0059, nonprogressive group). Whereas all 6 children had fistula progression, only 13/28 adults (P = .020) progressed. Angioarchitectural correlates to chronically elevated intracranial venous pressures, including venous sinus dilation (41% versus 7%, P = .045) and pseudophlebitic cortical venous pattern (P = .048), were more common in patients with progressive disease than in those without progression. Patients with progressive disease received more treatments than those without progression (median, 5 versus 3; P = .0068), but as a group, they did not demonstrate worse clinical outcomes (median mRS, 1 and 1; P = .39). However, 3 young patients died from intracranial venous hypertension and intracranial hemorrhage related to progression of their fistulas despite extensive endovascular, surgical, and radiosurgical treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

Few patients with dural arteriovenous fistulas follow an aggressive, progressive clinical course despite treatment. Younger age at initial presentation and angioarchitectural correlates to venous hypertension may help identify these patients prospectively.

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Progressive versus Nonprogressive Intracranial Dural Arteriovenous Fistulas: Characteristics and Outcomes
Jeffrey Ross
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