Open surgical disconnection for congenital, multi-hole, pial arteriovenous fistulae in non-eloquent cortex

Abstract

Intracranial pial arteriovenous fistulae (pAVFs), a direct shunt between a feeding artery and a venous channel with the absence of a true nidus characteristic of other types of arteriovenous malformations, are rare. We report a seven-year-old girl with an incidental intracranial pAVF. Following partial embolization with a combination of platinum coils and liquid embolic material, this lesion was surgically disconnected and a definitive cure was achieved. Based on the particular characteristics of this lesion-multiple, small arterial feeders, superficial location, and proximity to the non-eloquent cortex-we feel this vascular lesion represents a subset of pAVFs that may be most reasonably and safely treated by open surgery. While staged embolization has recently gained popularity as a treatment option, the additive risk of multiple embolizations as well as repeated exposure to ionizing radiation should not be understated, especially in the pediatric population. Furthermore, given the paucity of data on the long-term effectiveness of embolization, surgery remains an elegant and durable treatment option for pAVFs in carefully selected patients.