We describe the case of a 29-year-old woman from the Chernobyl area, who moved to the Czech Republic 10 years after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. She was evaluated for a large goiter. Fine-needle aspiration cytology indicated a diagnosis of a typical degenerated Hurthle cell adenoma. She underwent total thyroidectomy but a continual loud murmur was found 1 month after surgery. An arteriovenous (AV) fistula between the right thyrocervical trunk and the right jugular vein was proven angiographically. This fistula was successfully closed by artificial embolization performed by detachable Gianturco-Anderson-Wallace (GAW) coil. This is the first description of using such a procedure in order to close an AV fistula after thyroidectomy.

Wegener granulomatosis (WG) is a systemic vasculitis of small and medium vessels. It predominantly affects the upper and/or lower respiratory airway and kidneys. Its pathogenesis is not fully understood. WG relatively frequently affects the nervous system (in 30-50% according to the different studies). Most frequently, it manifests as necrotizing vasculitis that leads to the peripheral neuropathies or to the cranial nerves palsy. Impairment of the central nervous system (CNS) is less frequent and occurs in 2-8% of patients. Three major pathogenetic mechanisms were described: CNS vasculitis, spreading of granulomas from the adjacent anatomical areas (paranasal cavities, orbit etc.), and new formation of granulomas in brain tissue. This case report describes patients in whom WG manifested in the form of localized skin involvement and combined CNS involvement that included pituitary gland. Atypical presentation of WG impedes and slows down the process of diagnosis and emphasizes the need for collaboration between medical specialists.

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