Variants of Radiculomeningeal Vascular Malformations of the Spine

In recent years, it has become evident that the most common form of arteriovenous malformation to involve the spinal cord in adults is a low-flow fistula with its nidus located on the dura in relation to the dorsal nerve root. This lesion, termed "radiculomeningeal fistula" (RMF), is drained by the intradural coronal venous system and most likely causes neurological deficits due to raised venous pressure within the spinal cord. The therapy that was formerly recommended was multilevel laminectomy with microsurgical stripping of the intradural vessels. However, that procedure focused on the draining veins rather than the nidus, and it has been replaced by direct treatment of the nidus or by disconnecting the nidus from the coronal venous system. This paper reports variants of RMF's that show a wider spectrum of the clinical and radiological findings than has been previously reported. Three patients presenting with extradural venous drainage, intraspinal hemorrhage, and/or sudden non-hemorrhagic neurological decline are reported. A more complete understanding of RMF facilitates the radiological and clinical evaluation of these patients and enables the surgeon to modify the therapy in a significant way.