Delay in Diagnosis of Spontaneous Dual Arteriovenous Fistulas : Correlative Factors and Influence on Outcome / 中山大学学报(医学科学版)

ABSTRACT

[Objective] To study the factors relative to the delayed diagnosis of spontaneous dual arteriovenous fistulas (DAVF) and its influence on the prognosis.[Methods] We included 102 continuous patients diagnosed DAVF in the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University,and analyzed the correlative factors and impact on outcome of diagnostic delay.Outcome was whether symptoms were non-improvement,improvement or restoration at discharge.[Results] Median delay from onset to diagnosis was 3 months (interquartile range,1 to 6).Compared with patients diagnosed carlier(diagnose time≤3 months),patients diagnosed later (diagnose time ＞ 3 months) had a lower frequency of headache (P =0.012),ptosis (P =0.035) and parenchymal lesions (P =0.001),a higher frequency of conjunctival congestion (P =0.004),tinnitus (P =0.021),visual dysfunction (P ＜ 0.001),isolated visual dysfunction (P =0.007) and delayed imaging scan (P ＜ 0.001),a higher frequency of endovascular treatment,and a lower frequency of improvement or restoration at discharge (P =0.033),in which patients with visual dysfunction had a lower frequency of improvement or restoration than those without visual dysfunction (P =0.023).Compared to those with visual dysfunction and other symptoms,patients with isolated visual dysfunction had a higher frequency of onset with paroxysmal blurring or blinding (P ＜ 0.001),two eyes involved (P ＜ 0.001) and more severe visual loss (P =0.057),a higher frequency of draining into transversesigmoid sinus (P ＜ 0.001) instead of cavernous sinus (P ＜ 0.001),and suffered intracranial hypertension all (median intracranial pressure,405 mmH2O;interquartile range,370 ～ 512 mmH2O).However,no statistically significant differences were found in the frequency of improvement or restoration at discharge between two groups (P =0.739).[Conclusion] Diagnostic delay was considerable in this cohort and was associated with outcome,especially in patients with visual dysfunction.