Intracranial vertebral arteriovenous fistula. Case report.

True intracranial arteriovenous fistulas are rare. The authors report a case of a direct fistula between the intracranial portion of the vertebral artery and the lateral medullary venous system. The patient initially presented with a subarachnoid hemorrhage. An open surgical approach with clip obliteration of the lesion was used. The anatomy of this lesion and its surgical management are described.