Endovascular embolization of dural arteriovenous fistulas of the anterior cranial fossa: three case reports

Objective and importance: Anterior cranial fossa dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs) are rare intracranial lesions with a high risk of intracranial hemorrhage. We describe three cases of patients with DAVFs of the anterior cranial fossa. Clinical presentation: Case 1 is a 65-year-old man with chronic dementia and seizure, case 2 is a 52-year-old man with intraparenchymal hemorrhage and case 3 is a 48-year-old man complaining of headaches and visual disturbance. Angiography revealed DAVFs of the anterior cranial fossa in these patients. Intervention: Three patients were all successfully treated endovascularly without any adverse events. Cases 1 and 3 were cured by transvenous approach with platinum coils. Case 2 was embolized via transarterial approach with Onyx-18, which had not been reported previously. Conclusion: Along with advancements of endovascular technique, endovascular embolization may still play an important role in treatment of anterior cranial fossa DAVF. [Neurol Res 2008; 30: 852-859]