Tentorial Dural Arteriovenous Fistulas: A Single-Center Cohort of 12 Patients

OBJECTIVE: Tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulas usually drain into cortical veins and often present with hemorrhage. Treatment goal is occlusion of the draining vein, either by surgery or endovascular techniques. We present the multimodality treatment results of 12 patients with tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 2007 and January 2017, 12 consecutive patients with tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulas were treated. There were 11 men and 1 woman with a mean age of 62 years (range 44–85). Clinical presentation was hemorrhage in 8 (67%), pulsatile tinnitus in 2 (17%) and an incidental finding in 2 (17%). The fistula location was at the tentorium cerebelli in 5 (42%), the torcula Herophilii in 4 (33%) and petroclival in 3 (25%). RESULTS: In 11 patients, arterial embolization with Onyx or PHIL was the primary treatment. Complete obliteration was achieved in one session in 5 (45%) and in 2 sessions in 4 (36%). In 2 patients additional surgery was needed. Primary surgery was performed in 1 patient followed by endovascular coil occlusion via the venous route. One patient with exclusive pial feeders from the posterior inferior cerebellar artery had a clinically silent P3 occlusion during trans arterial embolization. Finally, all 12 fistula were completely occluded, confirmed with angiography after 8–12 weeks. There were no permanent procedural complications. CONCLUSION: Patients with tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulas were effectively and safely cured with a strategy of endovascular treatment with various techniques and surgery. Surgical and endovascular techniques are complementary in the treatment of these challenging vascular disorders.