Association between the Symptomatic Appearance of Dural Arteriovenous Fistula and Trigeminal Ganglion Radiofrequency Thermocoagulation

Fluoroscopy-guided radiofrequency thermocoagulation of the trigeminal ganglion is an alternative treatment for symptomatic trigeminal neuralgia. The most common complications of the procedure are circumscribed to sensitivity alterations. We report a case of an 83-year-old female patient with a history of petroclival meningioma resection, radiotherapy at the level of the petrous apex, and radiofrequency thermocoagulation for trigeminal neuralgia who developed a symptomatic dural arteriovenous fistula as an early complication, which required selective embolization. Dural arteriovenous fistula as an immediate complication of percutaneous thermocoagulation of the trigeminal ganglion has not been previously reported.