Neurochirurgie
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Vascular lesions of the spinal cord are increasingly recognized. The most common types of these lesions are dural arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) whereas, extradural AVFs are a very rare type of spinal AVF and can be associated with either extradural or intradural venous reflux. This results in neurological deficits through congestive or compressive myeloradiculopathy. These lesions must be treated to allow stabilization or improvement of neurologic status, either by endovascular therapy or microsurgical interruption. However, because some patients are not amenable to endovascular treatment, surgery is often warranted, which usually involves hemi- or bilateral laminectomy following a midline approach with bilateral muscle stripping. The main drawback of this procedure is directly related to the morbidity of the approach. Although, minimally invasive approaches are likely to overcome this drawback, there is a lack of reported experience supporting their use for treating spinal dural AVFs. ⋯ The minimally invasive surgical treatment of spinal AVFs with epidural venous reflux is safe and effective. This approach is a valuable alternative to endovascular therapy and the standard open microsurgical approach.