MRI and MR Angiography Findings to Differentiate Jugular Venous Reflux From Cavernous Dural Arteriovenous Fistula

OBJECTIVE. Both jugular venous reflux (JVR) and cavernous dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF) manifest as abnormal venous signal intensities on time-of-flight (TOF) MR angiography (MRA). We investigated brain MRI and MRA findings that might differentiate JVR from cavernous DAVF. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Forty-one patients with abnormal venous signal intensities on TOF MRA in the cavernous sinus and its vicinity were selected from 1508 patients who had undergone TOF MRA over the previous 6 months. For comparison, the examinations of 26 patients with cavernous DAVF who had undergone imaging over the previous 8 years were collected. The following findings were assessed: the side and location of abnormal venous signal intensities on intracranial TOF MRA; the signal intensity of the proximal jugular vein on T2-weighted imaging; whether there was early opacification of the cavernous sinus in the arterial phase of contrast-enhanced MRA (CE-MRA); the side of jugular venous drainage in the arteriovenous phase of CE-MRA; and whether retrograde jugular venous flow was seen on neck TOF MRA. RESULTS. Abnormal venous signal intensities were seen on the left side in 73% of patients with JVR and 58% of patients with cavernous DAVF; involvement of the cavernous sinus was found in 12% of patients with JVR and 100% of patients with cavernous DAVF. Increased signal intensity in the ipsilateral jugular vein on T2-weighted imaging was found in 73% of JVR patients and 4% of cavernous DAVF patients. Early opacification of the cavernous sinus in the arterial phase of CE-MRA, ipsilateral jugular venous drainage in the arteriovenous phase of CE-MRA, and ipsilateral retrograde jugular venous flow on neck TOF MRA were found in 0%, 0%, and 63%, respectively, of JVR patients and in 100%, 100%, and 0%, respectively, of cavernous DAVF patients. CONCLUSION. JVR and cavernous DAVF can be differentiated from one another using MRI and MRA.