PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - M D Willis
AU  - T Amato-Watkins
AU  - M Zaben
AU  - A Baig
AU  - R Corkill
AU  - Y Joshi
TI  - Reversible brainstem dysfunction from spinal arterio-venous fistula
AID  - 10.1136/practneurol-2014-000872
DP  - 2014 Dec 01
TA  - Practical Neurology
PG  - 425--428
VI  - 14
IP  - 6
4099  - http://pn.bmj.com/content/14/6/425.short
4100  - http://pn.bmj.com/content/14/6/425.full
SO  - Pract Neurol2014 Dec 01; 14
AB  - A 45-year-old man presented with subacute onset of ataxia, diplopia, urinary retention and paraparesis. MR scan of brain showed abnormal T2 hyperintense signal within the cervical cord, medulla and lower pons and vascular appearances suggesting an arterio-venous fistula. The fistula was surgically explored and successfully disconnected with good clinical outcome. Brainstem or cervical dural arterio-venous fistulae more typically present as a myelopathy; only a handful of cases have presented with brainstem dysfunction. This is a rare but reversible cause of subacute brainstem dysfunction.