DURAL ARTERIOVENOUS FISTULA

Course overview

DURAL ARTERIOVENOUS FISTULAS, SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS DURAL ARTERIOVENOUS MALFORMATIONS, ARE VASCULAR ABNORMALITIES IN WHICH ARTERIES ARISING FROM BRANCHES OF THE CAROTID OR VERTEBRAL ARTERIES DRAIN DIRECTLY INTO THE DURAL LEAFLETS OF THE VENOUS SINUSES. THEY ARE MORE COMMONLY SUPRATENTORIAL THAN INFRATENTORIAL, AND THE TRANSVERSE-SIGMOID JUNCTION IS THE MOST COMMON LOCATION WITH A SLIGHT LEFT-SIDED PREDOMINANCE. THIS ACTIVITY OUTLINES HOW TO PROPERLY EVALUATE DURAL ARTERIOVENOUS FISTULAS, AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.