Rinsho Shinkeigaku (Clinical Neurology)

Brief Clinical Note

Two cases of cavernous sinus dural arteriovenous fistula presenting headache as the one and only initial symptom

Masatoshi Ishizaki, M.D.1), Yuichiro Inatomi, M.D.1), Toshiro Yonehara, M.D.1), Yoichiro Hashimoto, M.D.2), Yutaka kai, M.D.3), Teruyuki Hirano, M.D.4) and Makoto Uchino, M.D.4)

1)Stroke Center, Saiseikai Kumamoto Hospital
2)Department of Neurology, Kumamoto City Hospital
3)Department of Neurosurgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University
4)Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University

We report 2 cases with cavernous sinus dural arteriovenous fistula (C-dAVF) presenting with headache as an initial symptom. A 70-year-old woman complained of acute persistent headache in the right temporal region. Another 74-year-old woman suffered from sudden and severe headache, developing from right-sided temporal throbbing to bilateral headache. Her condition was also complicated with cranial nerve deficits. These two patients were finally diagnosed as having C-dAVF based on the results of magnetic resonance angiography and cerebral angiography. It was difficult to make rapid diagnosis of C-dAVF in our patients, because they presented with headache alone but no typical symptoms of C-dAVF, such as proptosis, conjunctival injection or orbital bruit. C-dAVF should be considered as an important differential diagnosis in patients with headache.

(CLINICA NEUROL, 46: 501|504, 2006)
key words: cavernous sinus dural arteriovenous fistula, headache, magnetic resonance angiography

(Received: 16-Dec-05)