Cranial dural arteriovenous fistula as a rare cause of tinnitus - case report.

Background: Tinnitus, occurring at least once in a lifetime in about 10-20% of the population, is an important clinical problem with complex etiology. Rare causes of tinnitus include cranial dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs), which are usually small lesions consisting of abnormal connections between branches of dural arteries and venous sinuses or veins.

Case Report: Authors present a case of a 44-year-old woman with persistent, unilateral, treatment-resistant pulsatile tinnitus caused by a small dural arteriovenous fistula revealed in computed tomography angiography.

Conclusions: Computed tomography angiography is a useful diagnostic method that in some cases allows for establishing the cause of unilateral, pulsatile tinnitus.