The unusual cause of stroke: Cerebral dural arteriovenous fistula

Abstract

Based on the data available in the literature and their own experience, the authors give current views on the etiology, pathogenesis, classification, clinical presentations, and treatments of cerebral dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF), one of the unusual causes of stroke. The paper describes a young male patient with the lobar localization of the focus, a concurrence of ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. It is stated that the early emergence and persistence of a considerable focus should alert the physician to the possibility of DAVF or another venous anomaly. An emphasis is laid on the leading role of multimodal imaging protocols in the early diagnosis of the disease. Selective cerebral angiography of the internal and external carotid and vertebral arteries is today the gold standard for the diagnosis and classification of DAVF.