Deterioration of ocular motor dysfunction after transvenous embolization of dural arteriovenous fistula involving the cavernous sinus

Abstract

We treated 9 patients with the dural arteriovenous fistula involving the cavernous sinus by transvenous embolization. Two patients experienced deterioration of oculo-motor dysfunction after transvenous embolization. We can speculate about two different kind of causes by which patients symptoms deteriorated according to the result of intrasinus pressure recorded during the embolization [1]: high intrasinus pressure caused by the obliteration of the drainage pathway resulted in cranial nerve palsy in one case [2]; implanted coils directly compressed the cranial nerve in another case. Fortunately our cases recovered, but some kind of preventative measures may be needed in similar cases.