The remnant of primary head sinus found in the case of dural arteriovenous fistula: A case report

Abstract

In the embryo, the primary head sinus (PHS) is the first venous drainage channel in the craniocervical region. During embryonic development, this channel regresses and usually disappears completely; accordingly, a remnant of the PHS is an extremely rare condition and has been described in only a few previous studies. Here, we report a case of remnant of the PHS with a dural arteriovenous fistula (dAVF) in an adult. The remnant of the PHS had penetrated the petrous bone to run from the middle fossa to the jugular bulb and served as a drain for the middle fossa dAVF. We used digital subtraction angiography and reconstructed cone-beam computed tomography in 3D rotational angiography to obtain detailed anatomic information about the remnant PHS and additionally scrutinised and discussed its features.

Keywords

Primary head sinus embryology dural arteriovenous fistula

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