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Neurological rarities
Dural arteriovenous fistula causing reversible cognitive impairment
  1. Anna Alexandratou1,
  2. Yee Mah1,2,
  3. Deborah Ramsey1,
  4. Naga Kandasamy3,
  5. Christos M Tolias4,
  6. Naveen Gadapa1,
  7. Sandeep Ankolekar1
  1. 1 Department of Neurosciences, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
  2. 2 School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
  3. 3 Department of Neuroradiology, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
  4. 4 Department of Neurosurgery, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
  1. Correspondence to Dr Anna Alexandratou, Department of Neurosciences, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London SE5 9RS, UK; a.alexandratou{at}nhs.net

Abstract

A previously independent 82-year-old woman presented with 5 months of worsening confusion, mobility and cognitive decline, with deficits in orientation, language and executive function. A cerebral dural arteriovenous fistula was identified and successfully embolised, after which her cognitive ability and independence dramatically improved. Although rare, a dural arteriovenous fistula may mimic a rapidly progressive dementia, but its early recognition and treatment can completely reverse the dementia.

  • cognition
  • stroke
  • vascular dementia
  • interventional

Data availability statement

Data sharing not applicable as no datasets generated and/or analysed for this study.

https://doi.org/10.1136/pn-2021-003332

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    Data availability statement

    Data sharing not applicable as no datasets generated and/or analysed for this study.

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors SA identified and conceptualised the case. AA, NG, SA, DR, CT and YM assessed and reviewed the medical management of the case, and NK contributed to the radiological review and treatment of the case. AA and YM drafted the initial manuscript. All authors were involved in the review and finalisation of the manuscript.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed by Tom Hughes, Cardiff, UK.

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