Fracture and migration of a retained microcatheter into the cauda equina after endovascular neurointervention for dural arteriovenous fistula as a rare cause of tethered spinal cord: case report

The evaluation of spinal cord vascular malformations in neuroradiology departments remains valid for both diagnosis and endovascular embolization, and for adjuvant as well as definitive treatment. The most commonly encountered complications of endovascular approaches are the recurrence or the incomplete embolization of the lesion and accidental damage to the medullary arteries, which leads to spinal cord infarction. Failure to remember a microcatheter in the abdominal aorta after catheterization is an underestimated complication. A retained guidewire in the circulation may not necessarily cause symptoms, and it may remain unnoticed for a significant period of time. However, severe complications may be faced even many years later. In this article, a case report on a fracture and migration of a retained microcatheter in the cauda equina is presented. This occurred after an endovascular neurointervention for dural arteriovenous fistula as a rare cause of tethered spinal cord.