Spinal dural arteriovenous fistula associated with a spinal perimedullary fistula: case report

Among spinal cord vascular malformations, dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs) must be distinguished from intradural malformations. The concurrence of both is extremely rare. The authors report the case of a 35-year-old man who suffered from progressive myelopathy and who harbored both a DAVF and an intradural perimedullary fistula. During surgery, both fistulas were identified, confirmed, and subsequently obliterated. The fistulas were located at two levels directly adjacent to each other. Although the incidence of concurrent spinal DAVFs is presumed to be approximately 2%, the combination of a dural and an intradural fistula is exceedingly rare; only two other cases have been reported in the literature. One can speculate whether the alteration in venous drainage caused by the (presumably congenital) perimedullary fistula could possibly promote the production of a second dural fistula due to elevated pressure with concomitant venous stagnation and subsequent thrombosis. The authors conclude that despite the rarity of dual pathological entities, the clinician should be aware of the possibility of the concurrence of more than one spinal fistula in the same patient.