[Surgical management of dural arteriovenous fistulae in six patients]

In this article, we describe our experience in surgical management of dural arteriovenous fistulae (dAVF).

From August 2001 to February 2006 a total of six patients, were admitted at our hospital, 2 women and 4 men with ages between 40 and 68 years.

Four of the six cases were entered through the service of Emergency Service by neurological deficit (in two cases) or decrease in the level of consciousness (in two patients); the remaining two patients were referred by lengthy headache and alterations on neuroimaging studies suggestive of dAVF. All of them showed dAVF in different locations which were treated successfully with surgery after angiographic studies.

Although multiple therapeutic options are available, surgery is the treatment of choice in dAVF which shows aggressive clinical course, especially intracranial hemorrhage.