A rare case of spinal involvement in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia

Here, we describe a rare case of a spinal arteriovenous fistula in a patient with known hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) and spontaneous intraspinal hemorrhage. Furthermore, we provide a brief review of the literature on the formation of spinal arteriovenous malformations (AVM) in relation to this disease.

The case involves a 54-year-old male with known HHT. At the age of 49, the patient experienced recurrent cystitis. Urological evaluation ruled the cause to be neurological and subsequent imaging revealed a thoracic AVM. Four years later, the patient was admitted to A&E with chest pain and loss of function of the lower extremities and right arm, suspicious for ruptured aortic dissection. Trauma-CT excluded this and a final diagnosis of ruptured spinal AVM was made. Seven months post-injury, a spinal angiography was performed confirming the AVM. The remaining AVM was embolized under general anesthesia with acceptable results.

Spinal involvement in HHT is exceedingly rare but remains an important differential diagnosis, especially when patients present autonomic symptoms as these could potentially progress to life-threatening complications. The literature and the presented case indicate the prudence of closing spinal AVMs in HHT in case of symptoms, including autonomic, such as bladder dysfunction.