Management of dural arteriovenous fistula

Objective: To evaluate the treatment of dural arteriovenous fistula with various methods especially attention for the efficacy. Methods: 32 DAVF patients were treated with transarterial NBCA, GDC, free fibril coils and PVA embolization; also with transvenous coil embolization at the venous tip of the fistula orifice or endovascular stenting, fistula clipping in craniectomy. Results: Five of the 8 cases with DAVF in anterior cranial fossa were cured and 3 improved clinically. Eleven of the 14 patients with DAVF in cavernous region were cured and 3 improved clinically. Among five cases with DAVF in transverse sinus, 2 were cured by transvenous intrasinus embolization and one by sinus isolation; 2 showed improvement after transarterial embolization. Four patients with multiple fistulas of DVAF involving superior sagittal sinus were improved by combined treatment. One patient with DAVF in jugular venous region was treated with multiple sessions of combined methods. Conclusions: Direct clipping is effective in treatment of DAVF in anterior cranial fossa. Transvenous approach is favourable for managing DAVF in transverse sinus and cavernous sinus. Combined endovascular and surgical treatment should be considered for complicated DAVF, focusing on embolization of venous part of the fistulae. (authors)