Endovascular Treatment of Dural Arteriovenous Fistulas of the Anterior or Posterior Condylar Vein

V Hellstern,H Henkes,M Almatter,A Grimm,P Bhogal,M Aguilar-Pérez,P Kurucz,S Schob

doi:10.1007/s00062-018-0669-1

Abstract

Dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVF) involving the anterior and posterior condylar vein at the skull base are rare but important to recognize. Due to the highly variable anatomy of the venous system of the skull base, detailed anatomical knowledge is essential for correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment of these lesions. In this report we review the normal anatomy of the condylar veins and describe rare and, to our knowledge, not previously reported anatomical variants. We also highlight the treatment modalities for these lesions with focus on the endovascular transvenous occlusion based on four consecutive cases from our center.

Highlights

Dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVF) are acquired pathological arteriovenous connections involving vessels that usually supply the meninges [1, 2]
The anatomy of the venous system of the skull base has been described in several studies [5,6,7,8,9,10], but rare and not previously reported variants can be encountered in the clinical practice due to the extremely variable anatomy of this region
In this report we describe the normal anatomy of the condylar veins as well as anatomical variations which could be important to recognize

Summary

Introduction

Dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVF) are acquired pathological arteriovenous connections involving vessels that usually supply the meninges [1, 2]. They are most commonly found in the posterior fossa and usually involve the transverse and sigmoid sinus [1, 3, 4]. DAVFs of the anterior and posterior condylar veins are rare [3, 5], but important to recognize as these entities can have significant clinical implications. We present the clinical and radiological findings of four cases of DAVFs involving the anterior condylar vein and review the relevant literature

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Results

Conclusion