Application of Transcranial Color-coded Duplex Sonography in the Diagnosis and Management of Straight Sinus Thrombosis With Dural Arteriovenous Fistulae

A Case Report

Abstract

Introduction: 

Transcranial color-coded duplex sonography (TCCS) with and without ultrasound contrast agent has been used to diagnose cerebral venous thrombosis, however, no experience in the diagnosis of patients with cerebral venous thrombosis and with dural arteriovenous fistula (dAVF) by contrast-enhanced TCCS has been reported yet.

Case Report: 

The authors reported a 49-year-old male patient with straight sinus (StS) thrombosis and dAVF. Plain TCCS and contrast-enhanced TCCS demonstrated the direct presentation of the selected feeder and drainage veins of the dAVFs, arterialized venous flow waveform, and an enlarged optic nerve sheath diameter, indicating an increased intracranial pressure, and a filling defect in the StS even after administration of an ultrasound contrast agent. After intravascular thrombolysis and blockage of 2 feeders of the dAVF, TCCS still showed retrograde flow direction in the left basal vein and significantly elevated flow velocity in the StS, reflecting a high venous pressure caused by a high volume of arteriovenous shunt and severe stenosis in the StS. The patient’s clinical manifestation did not substantially improve until 3 stents were implanted in the StS, and TCCS unveiled that the stents were well filled with flow signal, and the flow velocity in the StS dramatically decreased.

Conclusions: 

TCCS could provide reliable data about the feeder and drainage veins of dAVF in our case. The extent of an increase in venous flow velocity may be closely associated with clinical manifestations, which may influence therapy. Moreover, TCCS possesses a unique advantage in terms of evaluating the patency of the stents compared with other neuroimaging techniques.