PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - C. Cognard
AU  - A.C. Januel
AU  - N.A. Silva, Jr
AU  - P. Tall
TI  - Endovascular Treatment of Intracranial Dural Arteriovenous Fistulas with Cortical Venous Drainage: New Management Using Onyx
AID  - 10.3174/ajnr.A0817
DP  - 2008 Feb 01
TA  - American Journal of Neuroradiology
PG  - 235--241
VI  - 29
IP  - 2
4099  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/29/2/235.short
4100  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/29/2/235.full
SO  - Am. J. Neuroradiol.2008 Feb 01; 29
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: DAVFs (dural arteriovenous fistulas) represent one of the most dangerous types of intracranial AV shunts. Most of them are cured by arterial or venous embolization, but surgery/radiosurgery can be required in case of failure. Our goal was to reconsider the endovascular treatment strategy according to the new possibilities of arterial embolization using non polymerizing liquid embolic agent.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty patients were included in a prospective study during the interval between July 2003 and November 2006. Ten of these had type II, 8 had type III, and 12 had type IV fistulas. Sixteen presented with hemorrhage. Five had been treated previously with other embolic materials.RESULTS: Complete angiographic cure was obtained in 24 cases. Of these 24 cures, 20 were achieved after a single procedure. Cures were achieved in 23 of 25 patients who had not been embolized previously and in only 1 of 5 previously embolized patients. Among these 24 patients, 23 underwent a follow-up angiography, which has confirmed the complete cure. Partial occlusion was obtained in 6 patients, 2 were cured after additional surgery, and 2 underwent radiosurgery. Onyx volume injected per procedure ranged from 0.5 to 12.2 mL (mean, 2.45 mL). Rebleeding occurred in 1 completely cured patient at day 2 due to draining vein thrombosis. One patient had cranial nerve palsy that resolved. Two ethmoidal dural arteriovenous fistulas were occluded. All 10 of the patients with sinus and then CVR drainage were cured.CONCLUSION: Based on this experience, we believe that Onyx may be the treatment of choice for many patients with intracranial dural arteriovenous fistula (ICDAVF) with direct cortical venous reflux (CVR). The applicability of this new embolic agent indicates the need for reconsideration of the global treatment strategy for such fistulas.