Pulsatile tinnitus with a dural arterio-venous fistula diagnosed by computed tomography-angiography.

Abstract

A 43 year-old female patient suffered the sudden onset of pulsatile tinnitus in the left ear 2 months ago. The tinnitus did not subside spontaneously and remained unchanged. The patient had no history of head trauma or surgery of the head and neck. The character of the tinnitus was pulsatile, and it was synchronous with the heart beat. Audiologic examinations were performed and all of the results were normal. Computed tomography with angiography was performed and evidence of an arterio-venous fistula (AVF) was found. 4-vessel angiography was performed to confirm the dural AVF between the external carotid artery and sigmoid sinus. Embolization of the feeder-vessels was done under a fluoroscope and 70% of the fistula flow was controlled after embolization and the tinnitus totally subsided during the embolization.