Hormone concentration measurement in intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulae.

OBJECTIVE: Intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulae (DAVF) represent a subset of cerebral vascular malformations associated with significant morbidity and mortality. In Japan, DAVF exhibits sex-based differences in anatomical distribution, with female predominance in the cavernous sinus (CS) and male predominance in the transverse sinus (TS). Nevertheless, the pathophysiology of DAVF is not fully understood, and hormonal influences are hypothesized to play a role in its development. This study aimed to investigate changes in the concentrations of sex steroid hormones between intracranial and peripheral sampling sites in CS- and TS-DAVF patients.

METHODS: We recruited 19 patients with CS-DAVF (n=12) and TS-DAVF (n=7) in this study. Blood hormone measurements were obtained from peripheral and jugular bulb (JB) samples during endovascular intervention. Hormone concentrations were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits, and statistical analyses were performed.

RESULTS: Our study revealed a higher prevalence of CS-DAVF in females and TS-DAVF in males, which is consistent with previous studies. Estradiol concentration was significantly lower in the JB compared with in the periphery in both CS- and TS-DAVF patients. This decrease in estradiol was observed irrespective of the patient's sex and independent of FSH levels.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate a local decrease in estradiol levels within the intracranial vasculature of DAVF patients. This suggests a potential multifactorial role of estradiol in the pathomechanism of DAVFs, warranting further investigation to understand its influence on DAVF formation and potential targeted therapies, thereby enhancing patient outcomes.