The Natural History and Management of Intracranial Dural Arteriovenous Fistulae

Abstract

The recently proposed classification scheme of Borden, Wu, and Shucart (Borden*) should have the ability to identify those intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulae (ICDAVF) which will continue to behave in a benign fashion. We examine for the first time the natural history of benign ICDAVF, including the predictive ability of this grading scale, and the implications for lesion management. A cohort of 55 Borden* grade I lesions was selected from a heterogeneous series of 102 consecutive ICDAVF seen at one institution between 1984 and 1995. Data were collected prospectively from 1991. Grade I lesions were those whose nidus drained directly into a dural venous sinus (DVS) or meningeal vein. The absence of retrograde leptomeningeal venous drainage (RLVD) was an important feature. Intracranial haemorrhage (ICH), non haemorrhagic neurological deficit (NHND), and death were considered aggressive features. There were 23 cavernous sinus, 2 foramen magnum, 1 middle cranial fossa, and 29 transverse sinus lesions. One patient received obliterative surgical treatment. Thirty-two lesions were observed only, and 22 patients developed symptoms or signs requiring palliative embolisation. Two minor complications occurred following embolisation: transient pulmonary aedema (1), and an asymptomatic pericallosal artery embolus (1). Follow-up was available on 48 (89%) patients for a total of 133 patient years (mean 33 months). This included 26 of the 32 patients observed and all 22 of the patients embolised. Aggressive interval behavior was seen in only one patient. Symptom improvement or resolution was observed in the majority of patients, whether observed only [21/26 (81%)], or whether they required embolisation for symptom palliation [19/22 (86%)]. Overall, 53 of the 54 (98%) of ICDAVF behaved in a benign fashion in the follow-up period. The predictable benign natural history of patients identified as Borden* grade I at presentation mandates a conservative approach to these ICDAVF. In some patients, when symptom severity demands, palliative embolisation is an effective and safe therapy.