Dural arteriovenous fistulas without cortical venous drainage: presentation, treatment, and outcomes

Long-term risk of hemorrhage and mortality after treatment of high-grade intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulas

BACKGROUND

Despite recent multi-institutional efforts, long-term data on clinical and radiological outcomes after treatment of high-grade dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVFs) remain scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term risk of hemorrhage and fistula-related mortality after treatment.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of all consecutive patients primarily diagnosed with a high-grade dAVF (Cognard grade 2b, 2a+b, 3, 4) between January 2012 and September 2022 at a large neurovascular center. Primary endpoints were intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) and all-cause mortality after treatment; secondary endpoints were angiographic occlusion, complication rate and neurological deficits.

RESULTS

A total of 121 patients underwent 141 treatments (122 endovascular therapy (EVT), 5 radiotherapy, 14 surgery) of which 12 patients (10%) underwent retreatment. Follow-up was available in all patients for a median of 4.2 (IQR 2.5 to 6.6) years. Eleven patients (9%) died during the follow-up period, of which three deaths (2%) occurred after hemorrhagic presentation, one of them attributable to treatment. One death (0.8%) was due to delayed hemorrhage after partial occlusion from EVT. No other post-treatment bleedings occurred. Angiographic follow-up after multimodality treatment was available in 93% of patients after a median of 6 months; the overall occlusion rate was 90%. The overall rate of complications was 25% after EVT and 14% after surgery. The rates of new transient and permanent neurological deficits after EVT were 9% and 3%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The long-term rate of re-bleeding or dAVF-related mortality was low when high rates of angiographic occlusion were achieved. The risk for treatment-related complications leading to neurological sequela was low.

Observation versus intervention for Borden type I intracranial dural arteriovenous fistula: A pooled analysis of 469 patients

BACKGROUND

While it is thought that Borden Type I intracranial dural arteriovenous fistula (dAVF) have a benign clinical course, their management remains controversial.

METHODS

A comparative meta-analysis was completed to evaluate the outcomes of intervention verses observation of Borden Type I intracranial dAVF. Outcome measures included: grade progression, worsening symptoms, death due to dAVF, permanent complications other than death, functional independence (mRS 0-2), and rate of death combined with permanent complication, were evaluated. Risk differences (RD) were determined using a random effects model.

RESULTS

Three comparative studies combined with the authors' institutional experience resulted in a total of 469 patients, with 279 patients who underwent intervention and 190 who were observed. There was no significant difference in dAVF grade progression between the intervention and observation arms, 1.8% vs. 0.7%, respectively (RD: 0.01, 95% CI: -0.02 to 0.04, P = 0.49), or in symptom progression occurring in 31/279 (11.1%) intervention patients and 11/190 (5.8%) observation patients (RD: 0.03, CI: -0.02 to 0.09, P = 0.28). There was also no significant difference in functional independence on follow up. However, there was a significantly higher risk of dAVF related death, permanent complication from either intervention or dAVF related ICH or stroke in the intervention group (11/279, 3.9%) compared to the observation group (0/190, 0%) (RD: 0.04, CI: 0.1 to 0.06, P = 0.007).

CONCLUSION

Intervention of Borden Type I dAVF results in a higher risk of death or permanent complication, which should be strongly considered when deciding on management of these lesions.

Endovascular treatment strategy and clinical outcome of tentorial dural arteriovenous fistula

Introduction

To evaluate treatment strategies and clinical outcomes following endovascular embolization of tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulas.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 19 patients with tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulas admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery at Jiangsu Provincial People's Hospital between October 2015 and May 2022, all treated with endovascular therapy. To collect and analyze patients' clinical presentation, imaging data, postoperative complications, and prognosis and to analyze the safety and clinical outcomes of endovascular treatment of tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulas.

Results

Imaging cure was achieved in 18 patients, with the arterial route chosen for embolization in 17 patients and the venous route in one patient; one patient received partial embolization. Staged embolization was performed in four patients. At postoperative follow-up of 9-83 months (37.8 ± 21.2), all 19 patients had recovered well (mRS score ≤ 2). Three patients experienced perioperative complications: intraoperative Onyx reflux into the middle cerebral artery in one patient; postoperative permanent limited left visual field loss and deafness in the left ear in one patient; and transient diplopia, vertigo, and decreased pain and temperature sensation of the left limb in one patient, with no abnormalities on post-procedure magnetic resonance examinations. A total of 17 patients completed a postoperative digital subtraction angiography review during follow-up, and one patient had a recurrence of an arteriovenous fistula.

Conclusion

Endovascular treatment of tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulas is safe and effective. Reduction of the Borden or Cognard classification via eliminating cortical venous reflux through multi-staged embolization or combined open surgery is a reasonable goal of treatment where complete obliteration of the fistula is not achievable.

Transarterial Embolization of Dural Arteriovenous Fistulas: Conventional, Pressure Cooker, and Microballoon Catheter Embolization Techniques

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Dural fistulas are abnormal connections between dural arteries and intracranial veins treated mainly endovascularly in most settings. The aim was to examine a single-institution experience of microballoon catheter transarterial embolization (TAE) of dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVFs) and compare it with other TAE techniques.

METHODS

We retrospectively identified all dAVFs treated at our institution between 2017 and 2022 with microballoon, conventional, and pressure cooker TAE. We studied occlusion and retreatment rates, treatment-related complications, and radiation doses.

RESULTS

During the study period, 66 patients underwent 75 TAE procedures to treat 68 dAVFs: 47 conventional TAE, 14 pressure cooker TAE, and 14 microballoon TAE. Median age of the study population was 63 years with 32% females. The most common dAVF location was the transverse sinus and 20% of dAVFs presented with hemorrhage. At 3-month follow-up, stable complete occlusion of the dAVF was seen in 72% (n = 34) after conventional TAE, 79% (n = 11) after pressure cooker TAE, and 86% (n = 12) after microballoon TAE. Retreatment was required in 19% (n = 9) after conventional TAE, 7% (n = 1) after pressure cooker TAE, and 7% (n = 1) after microballoon TAE. Treatment-related complications occurred in 17% (n =) after conventional TAE, 29% (n = 4) after pressure cooker TAE, and 7% (n = 1) after microballoon TAE.

CONCLUSION

In our experience, microballoon TAE of dAVFs resulted in better initial and 3-month angiographic outcomes and required less retreatment than conventional TAE. Microballoon TAE also resulted in fewer treatment-related complications than other techniques. In our experience, microballoon TAE is a reliable and safe endovascular technique to treat dAVFs.

Single-session hematoma removal and transcortical venous approach for coil embolization of an isolated transverse-sigmoid sinus dural arteriovenous fistula in a hybrid operating room: illustrative case

BACKGROUND

Dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF) can present with massive hematoma, which sometimes requires emergent removal. Therefore, a surgical strategy for single-session hematoma removal and shunt occlusion in the same surgical field is important.

OBSERVATIONS

A 73-year-old man was transferred to the authors' hospital with a headache. Brain computed tomography (CT) revealed an intracerebral hematoma in the right temporoparietal lobe (hematoma volume 12 ml). A cerebral angiogram revealed a right isolated transverse-sigmoid sinus (TSS)-DAVF fed by the occipital artery and middle meningeal artery. There was cortical venous reflux into the Labbé vein and posterior parietal vein. Percutaneous transarterial and transvenous embolization were unsuccessful. The following day, his consciousness level acutely declined with a headache, and brain CT showed hematoma expansion (hematoma volume 41 ml) with a midline shift. Therefore, the authors performed single-session hematoma removal and a transcortical venous approach for coil embolization of an isolated TSS-DAVF in a hybrid operating room. His postoperative course was uneventful. No recurrence was observed 3 months postoperatively on cerebral angiography.

LESSONS

Single-session hematoma removal and a transcortical venous approach for coil embolization of an isolated TSS-DAVF is considered in cases with massive hematoma. This strategy is useful, considering recent developments in hybrid operating rooms.