Skip to main content
Log in

Multidisciplinary approach in the treatment of spinal dural arteriovenous fistula—results of endovascular and surgical treatment

  • Original Article - Vascular Neurosurgery - Other
  • Published:
Acta Neurochirurgica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

A Correction to this article was published on 10 October 2018

This article has been updated

Abstract

Background

The results of treatment for spinal dural arteriovenous fistula (SDAVF) have been controversial. The goal of this study was to compare results of endovascular and surgical treatments to contribute to determining an optimal treatment strategy.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of the set of 24 SDAVF patients (11 in the endovascular and 13 in the surgical group) was performed. The clinical effect (using the modified Rankin scale [mRS]), the radicality, and the number of clinical recurrences as well as the impact of age, the level of impairment, and the duration of symptoms before the treatment were evaluated.

Results

The average age was 60.1 ± 8.4 years. The median duration of symptoms before establishing a diagnosis was 12 (1–70) months. Clinical improvement was reported in 11 out of 24 (45.8%) patients (36.4% following embolization and 53.8% following surgery, p = 0.444). Radical performance was achieved in 47.4% of endovascular versus 92.9% of surgical procedures (p = 0.009). Clinical recurrence was reported in 35.3% of patients in the endovascular group, whereas no clinical recurrence was reported in the surgical group (p = 0.0133). The graphical residuum after 1 surgery out of 14 (7.1%) was cured early during the control angiography. Clinical improvement was reported 42.1% of patients with mRS ≤ 3 versus 60% of patients with mRS ≥ 4 and, in 57.1% of patients aged ≥ 60 versus in 30% of patients < 60 years (p > 0.05 in both cases). The impact of the duration of symptoms on the clinical results was not statistically significant.

Conclusions

The surgical treatment of SDAVF appeared to be a more efficient method in terms of the clinical effect, radicality, and lower recurrence rate in comparison with the endovascular treatment. No statistically significant dependence of the clinical result on age, deficit burden, or symptom duration was found.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

Change history

  • 10 October 2018

    The author J. Adamkov was incorrectly captured in the original article and is now corrected in this article.

References

  1. Adrianto Y, Yang KH, Koo HW, Park W, Jung SC, Park JE, Kim KK, Jeon SR, Suh DC (2017) Concomitant origin of the anterior or posterior spinal artery with the feeder of a spinal dural arteriovenous fistula (SDAVF). J Neurointerv Surg 9:405–410

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Aminoff MJ, Logue V (1974) Clinical features of spinal vascular malformations. Brain 97:197–210

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Atkinson JL, Miller GM, Krauss WE, Marsh WR, Piepgras DG, Atkinson PP, Brown RD Jr, Lane JI (2001) Clinical and radiographic features of dural arteriovenous fistula, a treatable cause of myelopathy. Mayo Clin Proc 76:1120–1130

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Bakker NA, Uyttenboogaart M, Luijckx GJ, Eshghi OS, Mazuri A, Metzemaekers JD, Groen RJ, Van Dijk JM (2015) Recurrence rates after surgical or endovascular treatment of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas: a meta-analysis. Neurosurgery 77:137–144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Black P (2006) Spinal vascular malformations: an historical perspective. Neurosurg Focus 21(6):E11

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Bonita R, Beaglehole R (1988) Recovery of motor function after stroke. Stroke 19:1497–1500

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Borden JA, Wu JK, Shucart WA (1995) A proposed classification for spinal and cranial dural arteriovenous fistulous malformations and implications for treatment. J Neurosurg 82:166–179

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Cecchi PC, Musumeci A, Faccioli F, Bricolo A (2008) Surgical treatment of spinal dural arterio-venous fistulae: long-term results and analysis of prognostic factors. Acta Neurochir 150:563–570

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Cenzato M, Versari P, Righi C, Simionato F, Casali C, Giovanelli M (2004) Spinal dural arteriovenous fistulae: analysis of outcome in relation to pretreatment indicators. Neurosurgery 55:815–822

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Chibbaro S, Gory B, Marsella M, Tigan L, Herbrecht A, Orabi M, Bresson D, Baumann F, Saint-Maurice JP, George B, Kehrli P, Houdart E, Manisor M, Pop R (2015) Surgical management of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas. J Clin Neurosci 22:180–183

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Doppman JL, Di Chiro G, Ommaya A (1968) Obliteration of spinal-cord arteriovenous malformation by percutaneous embolisation. Lancet 1:477

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Eskandar EN, Borges LF, Budzik RF Jr, Putman CM, Ogilvy CS (2002) Spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas: experience with endovascular and surgical therapy. J Neurosurg 96:162–167

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Fugate JE, Lanzino G, Rabinstein AA (2012) Clinical presentation and prognostic factors of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas: an overview. Neurosurg Focus 32:E17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Gemmete JJ, Chaudhary N, Elias AE, Toma AK, Pandey AS, Parker RA, Davagnanam I, Maher CO, Brew S, Robertson F (2013) Spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas: clinical experience with endovascular treatment as a primary therapy at 2 academic referral centers. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 34:1974–1979

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Gilbertson JR, Miller GM, Goldman MS, Marsh WR (1995) Spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas: MR and myelographic findings. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 16:2049–2057

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Gokhale S, Khan SA, McDonagh DL, Britz G (2014) Comparison of surgical and endovascular approach in management of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas: a single center experience of 27 patients. Surg Neurol Int 5:7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Gross BA, Albuquerque FC, Moon K, McDougall CG (2017) Validation of an ‘endovascular-first’ approach to spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas: an intention-to-treat analysis. J Neurointerv Surg 9:102–105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Huffmann BC, Gilsbach JM, Thron A (1995) Spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas: a plea for neurosurgical treatment. Acta Neurochir 135:44–51

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Hurst RW, Kenyon LC, Lavi E, Raps EC, Marcotte P (1995) Spinal dural arteriovenous fistula: the pathology of venous hypertensive myelopathy. Neurology 45:1309–1313

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Jellema K, Sluzewski M, van Rooij WJ, Tijssen CC, Beute GN (2005) Embolization of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas: importance of occlusion of the draining vein. J Neurosurg Spine 2:580–583

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Jellema K, Tijssen CC, van Gijn J (2006) Spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas: a congestive myelopathy that initially mimics a peripheral nerve disorder. Brain 129:3150–3164

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Kaufmann TJ, Morris JM, Saladino A, Mandrekar JN, Lanzino G (2011) Magnetic resonance imaging findings in treated spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas: lack of correlation with clinical outcomes. J Neurosurg Spine 14:548–554

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Kaut O, Urbach H, Klockgether T (2008) Improvement of paraplegia caused by spinal dural arteriovenous fistula by surgical obliteration more than 6 years after symptom onset. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 79:1408–1409

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Kendall BE, Logue V (1977) Spinal epidural angiomatous malformations draining into intrathecal veins. Neuroradiology 13:181–189

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Killory BD, Nakaji P, Maughan PH, Wait SD, Spetzler RF (2011) Evaluation of angiographically occult spinal dural arteriovenous fistulae with surgical microscope-integrated intraoperative near-infrared indocyanine green angiography: report of 3 cases. Neurosurgery 68:781–787

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Krings T, Geibprasert S (2009) Spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 30:639

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Krings T, Mull M, Reinges MH, Thron A (2004) Double spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas: case report and review of the literature. Neuroradiology 46:238–242

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Lev N, Maimon S, Rappaport ZH, Melamed E (2001) Spinal dural arteriovenous fistulae--a diagnostic challenge. Isr Med Assoc J 3:492–496

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Lindenholz A, TerBrugge KG, van Dijk JM, Farb RI (2014) The accuracy and utility of contrast-enhanced MR angiography for localization of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas: the Toronto experience. Eur Radiol 24:2885–2894

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Marquardt G, Berkefeld J, Seifert V, Gerlach R (2009) Preoperative coil marking to facilitate intraoperative localization of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas. Eur Spine J 18:1117–1120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Medel R, Crowley RW, Dumont AS (2009) Endovascular management of spinal vascular malformations: history and literature review. Neurosurg Focus 26:E7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Merland JJ, Riche MC, Chiras J (1980) Intraspinal extramedullary arteriovenous fistulae draining into the medullary veins. J Neuroradiol 7:271–320

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Morris JM, Kaufmann TJ, Campeau NG, Cloft HJ, Lanzino G (2011) Volumetric myelographic magnetic resonance imaging to localize difficult-to-find spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas. J Neurosurg Spine 14:398–404

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Muralidharan R, Mandrekar J, Lanzino G, Atkinson JL, Rabinstein AA (2013) Prognostic value of clinical and radiological signs in the postoperative outcome of spinal dural arteriovenous fistula. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 38:1188–1193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Narvid J, Hetts SW, Larsen D, Neuhaus J, Singh TP, McSwain H, Lawton MT, Dowd CF, Higashida RT, Halbach VV (2008) Spinal dural arteriovenous fistulae: clinical features and long-term results. Neurosurgery 62:159–167

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Nichols DA, Rufenacht DA, Jack CR Jr, Forbes GS (1992) Embolization of spinal dural arteriovenous fistula with polyvinyl alcohol particles: experience in 14 patients. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 13:933–940

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Niimi Y, Berenstein A, Setton A, Neophytides A (1997) Embolization of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulae: results and follow-up. Neurosurgery 40:675–683

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Oldfield EH, Di Chiro G, Quindlen EA, Rieth KG, Doppman JL (1983) Successful treatment of a group of spinal cord arteriovenous malformations by interruption of dural fistula. J Neurosurg 59:1019–1030

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Patel NP, Birch BD, Lyons MK, DeMent SE, Elbert GA (2013) Minimally invasive intradural spinal dural arteriovenous fistula ligation. World Neurosurg 80:e267–e270

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Prieto R, Pascual JM, Gutierrez R, Santos E (2009) Recovery from paraplegia after the treatment of spinal dural arteriovenous fistula: case report and review of the literature. Acta Neurochir 151:1385–1397

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Rankin J (1957) Cerebral vascular accidents in patients over the age of 60. II. Prognosis. Scott Med J 2:200–215

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Ropper AE, Gross BA, Du R (2012) Surgical treatment of type I spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas. Neurosurg Focus 32:E3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Saladino A, Atkinson JL, Rabinstein AA, Piepgras DG, Marsh WR, Krauss WE, Kaufmann TJ, Lanzino G (2010) Surgical treatment of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulae: a consecutive series of 154 patients. Neurosurgery 67:1350–1358

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Schaat TJ, Salzman KL, Stevens EA (2002) Sacral origin of a spinal dural arteriovenous fistula: case report and review. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 27:893–897

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Sivakumar W, Zada G, Yashar P, Giannotta SL, Teitelbaum G, Larsen DW (2009) Endovascular management of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas. A review. Neurosurg Focus 26:E15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. Song JK, Vinuela F, Gobin YP, Duckwiler GR, Murayama Y, Kureshi I, Frazee JG, Martin NA (2001) Surgical and endovascular treatment of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas: long-term disability assessment and prognostic factors. J Neurosurg 94:199–204

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Steinmetz MP, Chow MM, Krishnaney AA, Andrews-Hinders D, Benzel EC, Masaryk TJ, Mayberg MR, Rasmussen PA (2004) Outcome after the treatment of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulae: a contemporary single-institution series and meta-analysis. Neurosurgery 55:77–88

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. Symon L, Kuyama H, Kendall B (1984) Dural arteriovenous malformations of the spine. Clinical features and surgical results in 55 cases. J Neurosurg 60:238–247

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Thron A (2001) Spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas. Radiologe 41:955–960

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Van Dijk JM, TerBrugge KG, Willinsky RA, Farb RI, Wallace MC (2002) Multidisciplinary management of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas: clinical presentation and long-term follow-up in 49 patients. Stroke 33:1578–1583

    Article  Google Scholar 

  51. Zhou G, Li M, Lu C, Yin YL, Zhu YQ, Wei XE, Lu HT, Zheng QQ, Gao WW (2017) Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography for the localization of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas at 3TJ. Neuroradiology 44:17–23

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Zogopoulos P, Nakamura H, Ozaki T, Asai K, Ima H, Kidani T, Kadono Y, Murakami T, Fujinaka T, Yoshimine T (2016) Endovascular and surgical treatment of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas: assessment of post-treatment clinical outcome. Neurol Med Chir (Tokyo) 56:27–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This work was supported in part by grants from the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic (RVO – FN HK 00179906) and from Charles University, Czech Republic (PROGRES Q40).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Martin Vališ.

Ethics declarations

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. For this type of study, formal consent is not required.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Additional information

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Vascular Neurosurgery – Other

The original version of this article was revised. The name of J. Adamkov is corrected

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Česák, T., Adamkov, J., Poczos, P. et al. Multidisciplinary approach in the treatment of spinal dural arteriovenous fistula—results of endovascular and surgical treatment. Acta Neurochir 160, 2439–2448 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00701-018-3672-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00701-018-3672-z

Keywords

Navigation