Cervical Epidural Arteriovenous Fistula With Radiculopathy Mimicking Cervical Spondylosis -Case Report-

Abstract

A 65-year-old woman presented with a rare case of cervical epidural arteriovenous fistula (AVF) manifesting as radiculopathy of the right upper extremity that mimicked cervical spondylosis. She had a 2-month history of gradually progressive right-hand motor weakness and sensory disturbance. The initial diagnosis was cervical disk herniation. However, computed tomography with contrast medium showed abnormal enhancement at the right C5-6 and C6-7 intervertebral foramina. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with gadolinium disclosed an enhanced abnormal epidural mass at the dorsal surface of the dural tube between the C5 and C6 vertebrae. T2-weighted MR imaging showed a slight flow void on the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the spinal cord between C3 and T4. Digital subtraction angiography disclosed cervical epidural and dural AVFs fed by the C5 and C6 radicular arteries. The diagnosis was concomitant epidural and dural AVFs. The dilated internal vertebral venous plexus attributable to epidural AVF was considered to be responsible for the radiculopathy. Transarterial embolization using n-butylcyanoacrylate achieved complete occlusion of the lesions. Her symptoms improved immediately and MR imaging and angiography performed 10 days postembolization showed reduction of both the epidural and dural AVFs.