For this week's pathology blog I decided to talk about arteriovenous malformations or AVM. In the image seen, this patient's AVM, which was not previously known about, ruptured, causing an acute bleed and was subsequently treated with surgery. During this surgery, the patient's AVM was discovered and also surgcially treated.
An AVM is a defect where the arteries and veins of the brain are not connected properly. The arteries and veins pretty much become a big jumble of vessels and of course can't function properly. This causes increased blood flow and subsequently higher blood pressure in the area of the AVM. Unlike an aneurysm, there are no set "risk factors" for an AVM. They are considered to be congenital as most people who suffer from an AVM are born with them.
The most common symptom of an AVM is an acute brain bleed. Other symptoms may include seizures, loss of motor functions, loss of senses, mass effect seen on a CT scan, severe head or facial pain. These types of symptoms are often confused with those of a stroke therefore proper screening is very important!!
Treatment for AVM's vary and depend greatly upon several factors including the age of the patient, the location of the AVM, the size of the AVM, and whether or not the patient is at risk for an acute bleed. Treatments may include surgery, radiation, embolization, or a combination of these.
I found my information at www.brain-aneurysm.com
