Traumatic arteriovenous fistula in the temporal region: a therapeutic challenge

Arteriovenous fistulas can be congenital or traumatic, the former being more common and diagnosed in childhood, and the latter being rarer and diagnosed later in life. Both require interventional treatment, which may be endovascular, or surgical repair and each case must be studied individually. This article presents the case of a 46-year-old patient with an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) between the left temporal artery and its corresponding veins resulting from a blunt trauma to the parietal region during childhood. The diagnosis was confirmed by imaging examination and he underwent conventional surgical treatment with improvement of symptoms. The case calls attention to a rare condition, its diagnostic investigation, and therapeutic approaches. The incidence of traumatic arteriovenous fistulas is low. They can occur in a variety of ways and can cause symptoms, requiring treatment, which is sometimes challenging, resulting in improvement in the patient's quality of life.