Arteriovenous fistula between the left vertebral artery and the inferior thyroid vein: a case report

Arteriovenous fistula between the left vertebral artery and the inferior thyroid vein is a rare entity. This condition can change the blood supply of the basilar artery system, and then lead to an abnormal blood supply of the vertebral body. Therefore, this rare condition may be misdiagnosed in the clinic. We report an arteriovenous fistula between the left vertebral artery, which was found during an interventional operation of a 49-year-old Asian man. He was non-diabetic and an ex-smoker, and presented with a 1-month history of pain in the neck, shoulder, waist, back, and right lower limb. Vascular angiography showed an arteriovenous fistula, and coils were placed in the fistula. In this setting, coil embolization was effective, and a 1-year follow-up suggested that a good long-term result was likely.