Development of Postoperative Spinal Arteriovenous Fistula After Lumbar Laminectomy, Decompression, and Posterior Spinal Fusion

Spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas are a rare cause of low back pain, bilateral lower extremity weakness, or pain with sensory changes. They are typically found in males in the fifth and sixth decades of life, associated with a progressive decline in symptoms that make initial diagnosis challenging in some patients. We present a case report and literature review of an 80-year-old woman with a long-standing history of progressively worsening back pain and lower extremity pain that has limited her daily activities. When preoperative MRI of the lumbar spine showed high-grade stenosis and listhesis of L4-L5, the patient was taken to the operating room for an L4-L5 laminectomy, decompression, facetecomy, and instrumented fusion. Her postoperative course did not show improvement of symptoms, which in fact worsened, leading to gait imbalance and instability. Postoperative MRIs of the patient were concerning for a spinal dural arteriovenous fistula, which was confirmed and treated by spinal angiography and embolization.