Three-dimensional computed tomography angiography in presurgical planning for treatment of infratentorial dural. arteriovenous fistulas

Dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs) with pure leptomeningeal drainage may be cured by simple interruption of their venous side. This report illustrates the cases of 3 patients undergoing Surgery for fistulas classified as Borden Type III, involving the posterior cranial fossa. Preoperatively, the Surgical anatomy of these lesions was investigated with 3D reformatting of multislice CT angiography, in addition to conventional angiography. Reformatted images clarified the surgical anatomy of the malformation. Reconstructing both the osseous and the vascular structures and simulating the surgical orientation allowed localization of the dural takeoff point of the DAVF's drainage, showing its relationship with osseous landmarks. Precise localization of the DAVF's drainage may help in choosing the most direct and effective approach to treat the malformation. The reported cases Could be treated with a standard retrosigmoid exposure, avoiding the need for more complex cranial base approaches. (DOI: 10.3171/2008.4.17515)