Abstract: Objective To investigate the clinical symptoms， pathogenesis， and imaging characteristics of spinal dural arteriovenous fistula（SDAVF）to improve understanding and reduce the misdiagnosis rate. Methods The diagnosis and treatment process of a patient with a spinal dural arteriovenous fistula was analyzed，and the literature review was combined. Results For the elderly male patient，dysuria was the first symptom，followed by sensory and motor impairment of the lower limbs，and the disease was progressively aggravated. Long T2 signals were seen on spinal cord MRI，and spinal angiography showed a dural arteriovenous fistula at the left T10 segment. Conclusion SDAVF is very rare and has untypical clinical symptoms. Spinal angiography is the gold standard for diagnosis. Surgical treatment should be performed as soon as possible after diagnosis.

Key words: spinal dural arteriovenous fistula, pathophysiology, diagnosis, angiography of the spinal cord, spinal MRI