[Can myelopathies secondary to arterio-venous dural fistulae be aggravated by intravenous corticosteroid therapy?].

Dural fistulas are the most common vascular malformations of the spinal cord. They are of unknown origin but constitute a recognized cause of myelopathy. Aggravation of the clinical manifestations, either spontaneously or after invasive procedures, has been described. We report the case of a patient with a four-month history of myelopathic syndrome involving the lower limbs. Intravenous corticosteroid steroid treatment (1g) given for a suspected inflammatory disorder, induced a dramatic flare-up of the neurological symptoms which were reversible within 48 hours after corticosteroid withdrawal. The causal effect of the steroid treatment is discussed.