Dural fistulae of the tentorium cerebelli. Radioanatomical, clinical and therapeutic considerations

Abstract

Among the 84 intracranial dural fistulae treated in the Neuroradiology department of the University Hospital Centre of Nancy between August 1983 and April 1990, 10 (11.9%) were located on the tentorium cerebelli. The patients were 7 men and 3 women aged from 41 to 61 years at the time of diagnosis. All tentorial dural fistulae showed an exclusively cortical drainage, and only one of them was associated with probable thrombosis of a major sinus. Nine patients presented with at least one episode of neurological deficit (including 2 with progressive ascending myelopathy) associated with a cerebro-meningeal haemorrhage in 6 cases. In all patients the initial treatment was an endovascular one, subsequently reinforced by surgery in 2 patients. In every case the clinical condition was improved or stabilized and no recurrent haemorrhage was observed, but radioanatomical cure was obtained in only 3 patients: 1 treated by the endovascular route and 2 by embolization combined with surgery. The anatomical, physiopathological and clinical aspects of these particular fistulae and the different possible therapeutic approaches are discussed.