Posterior Meningeal Artery Origin Patterns among 300 Cases and Their Clinical Importance

Abstract

The posterior meningeal artery (PMA) is known as a dura mater-nourishing vessel. We encountered a patient with Wallenberg syndrome during transarterial embolization of the PMA associated with the dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF). After development of Wallenberg syndrome in the patient, we assessed origins of the PMA patterns in 300 cases and divided them into 3 types. A 63-year-old man was incidentally diagnosed as having transverse-sigmoid sinus DAVF with a cortical venous reflux. During the transarterial embolization, the patient complained of vertigo and numbness of the right extremities. Postoperatively, the patient exhibited Wallenberg syndrome. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging showed a high-intensity area on the lateral side of the right medulla. While performing arterial embolization of the PMA that directly originates from the intracranial vertebral artery, the possibility of deficient brainstem nourishment must be considered.