The Visualization Methods of Occluded Dural Sinus for Safe Transvenous Embolization of Dural AVFs

Transvenous embolization (TVE) via occluded sinus is one option for the treatment of dural arteriovenous fistulas. Understanding of the anatomical characteristics of the occluded sinus is difficult. It is often hard to reach the shunt point because of some risk of vessel perforation.

We assessed usefulness of T1 Volumetric Isotropic TSE Acquisition (VISTA) Black Blood (BB) and 3D-T1 Fast Field Echo (FFE) for the evaluation and visualization of an occluded sinus. Evaluation of T1 VISTA BB and 3D-T1 FFE was performed preoperatively. TVE was performed via the occluded sinus while referring to the visualized reconstruction image.

Fourteen cases of TVE were performed between 2009 and 2015. The entire occluded sinus, including both thrombus and blood flow, was seen as the high-intensity region on 3D FFE T1 gadlinium (Gd). On the other hand, thrombus was seen as the iso- or high-intensity region and blood flow as the low-intensity region on T1 VISTA BB. The maximum intensity projection reconstruction image of 3D FFE T1Gd could visualize the whole occluded sinus and was useful for microcatheter maneuver. Total shunt obliteration was achieved in 13 cases (92.8%) except for one.

Magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of the occluded sinus using both T1 VISTA BB and 3D FFE T1Gd gives us valuable information of the occluded sinus regarding the development and the course of the occluded sinus, the length of the thrombotic occlusion, and leads to safer catheter maneuvers in TVE.