Vertebral Arteriovenous Fistula: A Review Article

Area of Science:

• Vascular Surgery
• Interventional Radiology
• Neurology

Background:

• Vertebrovertebral fistulas (VVFs) are uncommon vascular lesions.
• They can result from spontaneous causes, iatrogenic factors, or trauma.
• Understanding their demographics and treatment is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review literature on VVFs.
• To gather data on demographics, clinical presentation, and treatment outcomes.
• To inform treatment strategies based on VVF etiology.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review including 128 case reports and 16 case series.
• Data abstraction by three authors.
• Descriptive statistics including mean, range, and proportions were reported.

Main Results:

• 280 patients analyzed, categorized into iatrogenic, spontaneous, and traumatic VVFs.
• Demographics vary by cause: young men (traumatic), young women (spontaneous), elderly (iatrogenic).
• Endovascular therapy was the primary treatment; morbidity was 3.3% and mortality 1.5%.

Conclusions:

• VVFs require treatment, even without retrograde venous drainage.
• Treatment planning must account for the cause and patient demographics.
• Tailoring treatment improves outcomes for these rare lesions.