Key Clinical Message
This case report highlights how rare spinal vascular diseases (spinal
AVM) may be misinterpreted in conventional MRI. So we should be vigilant
about spinal vascular diseases and conduct Digital subtraction
angiography (DSA) when appropriate.
Keywords : Spinal Arteriovenous malformation, Spinal AVM,
Perimedullary Spinal AV Fistula
Introduction :
Spinal arteriovenous malformations, along with cavernous malformations
and spinal cord infarction, fall into a group of spinal vascular
diseases. They are abnormal connections between arteries and veins of
the spine which bypass the capillary network. Spinal arteriovenous
fistula can be classified into Dural AVF, intramedullary glomus AVM,
intramedullary juvenile AVM, Perimedullary AVF, and Extradural AVF
according to a classification proposed by Takai et al.(1). We present a
case of perimedullary AV Fistula, which was misinterpreted as
myxopapillary ependymoma in MRI. However, it was correctly identified by
histopathology and removed surgically.