Spinal dural arteriovenous anomalies.

The clinical data, radiologic findings, and treatment in 14 cases of spinal dural arteriovenous (AV) anomaly were reviewed. All patients had typical findings of feeding artery, nidus, and draining vein on spinal angiograms. Radiologic diagnosis of spinal AV malformation was first made after myelography in 13 cases and after magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in one case. Thirteen patients underwent embolization; one patient underwent repeat embolization 14 months after the first procedure. The other patient underwent surgical ligation. All patients had clinical improvement after treatment. A high index of clinical suspicion, a complete myelographic examination or an MR image of good quality, and a properly performed complete spinal angiographic study are important for early diagnosis. Embolization may be the treatment of choice. For best results, the feeding artery next to the nidus and the draining vein close to the nidus should be occluded, and the nidus itself should be obliterated.