CASE REPORTS   

Chirurgia 2011 December;24(6):365-7

Copyright © 2012 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Early spontaneous disappearance of a “benign” cranial dural arteriovenous fistula with hemorrhagic onset

Cecchi P. C., Schwarz A.

Operative Unit of Neurosurgery, Regional General Hospital, Bolzano, Italy

Dural arteriovenous fistulas are rare acquired vascular lesions that may cause intracranial haemorrhage. Angioarchitectural features, particularly the presence of cortical venous drainage, influence their clinical natural history with a distinction of “benign” versus “aggressive” lesions. We describe a very rare case of cranial dural arteriovenous fistulas without cortical venous drainage with an haemorrhagic onset spontaneously disappearing in two weeks, together with a discussion of the possible physiopathological mechanisms.