Anterior cranial fossa osseous arteriovenous fistula of the crista galli with bone erosion: patient series

BACKGROUND: Although an anterior cranial fossa dural arteriovenous fistula (ACFdAVF) is thought to have a fistula on the dura near the olfactory groove, the detailed angioarchitecture remains unreported. OBSERVATIONS: In case 1, a 65-year-old man was found to have an asymptomatic ACFAVF. His computed tomography angiography (CTA)-maximum intensity projection (MIP) showed the shunt point in the crista galli (CG), with the intradural drainer penetrating the destroyed bone of the CG. In case 2, a 78-year-old man had a past history of intracerebral hemorrhage and was found to have an ACFAVF. The rotational angiography (RA)-MIP showed the intraosseous fistula in the CG with the drainer passing through a tiny bone defect of the CG. In case 3, a 35-year-old man was investigated for epilepsy. The RA-MIP showed an osseous arteriovenous fistula (AVF) in the anterior cranial base, with the drainer penetrating the skull osteolytic site. In case 4, a 73-year-old woman was found to have an asymptomatic ACFAVF. Her RA-MIP showed the osseous AVF with the drainer penetrating the CG with bone erosion. LESSSONS: All patients were diagnosed with anterior cranial fossa osseous AVF rather than dAVF, with bone erosion in the CG. These findings should be noted at the time of diagnosis and treatment.