Journal of Spine

Spinal Dural Arteriovenous Fistula

Abstract

Stéphanie Lenck, Anne-Laure Bernat, Damien Bresson, Marc-Antoine Labeyrie, Jean-Pierre Saint-Maurice, Sébastien Froelich and Emmanuel Houdart

Spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas are a rare and underdiagnosed pathology. Rapid diagnosis and treatment are, however, major determining factors for the outcome of the disease. The spontaneous course of this pathology can result in a substantial degree of morbidity that may be irreversible. Proper interpretation of the MRI imaging, and particularly the medullar angiography, allow for an appropriate level of therapeutic intervention. In our center, surgery is recommended in case of embolization contraindication or failure or in patients with recurrence of the fistula following embolization.