Involvement of dural arteries in intracranial arteriovenous malformations.

Abstract

Intracranial arteriovenous malformations may receive part or all of their blood supply from meningeal branches of the external carotid, internal carotid, or vertebral arteries, although previous authors(2–5,8, 10, 15–17,20,21,24)have suggested that such a meningeal contribution is infrequent. The malformations may be classified on the basis of their arterial supply as pure pial, mixed pial and dural, and pure dural. Those that are entirely pial in location are supplied solely by cerebral or cerebellar arteries. Mixed pial and dural malformations receive their blood supply not only from cerebral or cerebellar arteries but also from meningeal vessels. Pure dural malformations are limited to the dura and thus receive only meningeal arterial contribution. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the location of intracranial arteriovenous malformations based on the presence or absence of a dural blood supply. Method Arteriograms of patients with intra-cranial arteriovenous malformations examined at the Univer...