Concomitant Sacral Dural Arteriovenous Fistula and Conus Medullaris Arteriovenous Malformation with Respective Drainage Veins: Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

Spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs) and spinal arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are relatively rare. Moreover, multiple spinal cord vascular lesions in an individual, such as double DAVFs and DAVF with AVM, are extremely rare. To date, there are only several reported cases of concomitant spinal DAVFs and AVMs. A 25-year-old woman presented with pain of the right lower limb persisting for 1 month. Spinal magnetic resonance imaging showed prominent signal flow voids in the lumbosacral canal. Spinal digital subtraction angiography (DSA) showed a sacral DAVF fed by the right lateral sacral artery and a spinal intradural AVM at the conus medullaris fed by the anterior spinal artery from the left T11 intercostal artery. The drainage veins in these 2 lesions were respective and without common anastomosis. The diagnosis of concomitant sacral DAVF and conus AVM was made. Microsurgery was performed to excise these lesions successfully in the same operation. The patient's symptoms gradually improved after surgery. Postoperative spinal DSA confirmed the complete disappearance of the 2 lesions. The concomitant presence of sacral DAVF and conus AVM is extremely rare. Nonetheless, clinicians should be aware of the possibility of the coexistence of multiple types of spinal vascular lesions in a single patient.