A Case of Spinal Dural Arteriovenous Fistula diagnosed as Transverse Myelitis

ABSTRACT

A case was presented of a 41-year-old male with progressive claudication and numbness in the lower extremities. A MRI showed swelling of the spinal cord with an intramedullary high signal intensity on a T2-weighted image. The patient was diagnosed with transverse myelitis and was started on intravenous steroids. However, there were no significant effects with the steroid treatment. An angiography showed a spinal dural arteriovenous fistula fed by a T11 radicular artery. An endovascular embolization was performed and the claudication and numbness were improved. We report a case of spinal dural arteriovenous fistula misdiagnosed as transverse myelitis.