[2] Most commonly found adjacent to dural sinuses in the following locations:[2] It is still unclear whether DAVFs are congenital or acquired.

The distinction between Types Ia and Ib is somewhat specious as there is a rich system of meningeal arterial collaterals.

Type I dural fistulas are often asymptomatic, do not have a high risk of bleeding and do not necessarily need to be treated.

[citation needed] The high pressure within a Type II Archived 2007-03-12 at the Wayback Machine dural AV fistula causes blood to flow in a retrograde fashion into subarachnoid veins which normally drain into the sinus.

If treatment involves embolization, it will only typically be effective if the glue traverses the actual fistula and enters, at least slightly, the draining vein.

To simplify the above systems of DAVF classification, the two main factors that should be considered to determine aggressiveness of these lesions are: Treatment decisions are more complicated and require a consultation with a multidisciplinary team consisting of at least a interventional neuroradiologist, neurosurgeon and radiotherapist familiar with these lesions.

[5] Detachable coils, liquid embolic agents like NBCA, and onyx, or combinations of both are injected into the blood vessel to occlude the DAVF.

[2] External Manual Carotid Compression is Effective in Patients with Cavernous Sinus Dural Arteriovenous Fistulaetreatment.