SPINAL DURAL ARTERIOVENOUS-FISTULAS SUPPLIED BY BRANCHES OF THE INTERNAL ILIAC ARTERIES

Spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas are abnormal arteriovenous connect ions on the surface of the dura. They are supplied by branches of inte rcostal, lumbar, vertebral, middle sacral, or subclavian arteries and rarely by branches of the internal iliac arteries. We present four cas es of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas supplied exclusively by bran ches of the internal iliac artery in which the clinical and magnetic r esonance presentation were not suggestive of this unusual supply. In o ur experience, internal iliac artery supply was observed in 12.5% of c ases of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas. We recommend that selecti ve internal iliac arteriography be included in the angiographic evalua tion of patients suspected of having a spinal dural arteriovenous fist ula.