Angiographic Index for the Treatment Efficacy and Functional Outcomes of Spinal Cord Arteriovenous Shunts: the Vertebral Blush Sign.

BACKGROUND: The functional outcomes in spinal cord arteriovenous shunts (SCAVSs) are usually unpredictable from current assessments of treatment results. We aimed to investigate and propose a new index marker, the vertebral blush (VB) sign, for assessing the treatment efficacy of SCAVSs.

METHODS: This retrospective cohort study enrolled patients diagnosed with SCAVSs between June 2012 and May 2021. The VB sign was defined as the angiographic finding of reappearance or enhanced contrast staining of the vertebral bodies fed by shunt-related arteries observed after shunt occlusion. The primary outcome was the improvement in motor/sensory disturbances or sphincter impairments within 1 year after treatment. The secondary outcome was shunt recanalization. VB sign characteristics and associations with outcomes were analyzed.

RESULTS: Of 65 patients with SCAVSs, 57 were eligible for VB sign assessment; among these, there were 26 with the VB sign and 31 without the VB sign. Among vascular shunts perimedullary arteriovenous fistula showed the greatest difference in prevalence rate between those with and without the VB sign (33.3%, n = 9/27 versus 10.0%, n = 3/30; P = 0.031). On multivariable logistic regression analysis, SCAVSs with the VB sign had significantly more favorable outcomes than those without the VB sign (adjusted odds ratio, 5.61; 95% confidence interval, 1.48-21.23; P = 0.01). There was no relationship between the VB sign and secondary outcomes (P = 0.35).

CONCLUSION: The VB sign is independently associated with functional recovery after shunt occlusion and could be an assessment tool for the treatment efficacy of SCAVSs.