Arteriovenous malformation (AVM) of the brain is also a "short circuit" between the arteries (which carry blood from the heart to the tissues) and veins (which carry blood from the tissues back to the heart). Normally the connection between arteries and veins is through a network of smaller vessels called capillaries, which slow the blood down and permit the exchange of food, oxygen and nutrients into the tissues. In Brain (cerebral) arteriovenous malformations, the arteries and veins have a direct connection, bypassing the capillary network.

This network of abnormal connections represents the "nidus". Brain (cerebral) Arteriovenous malformation (AVM) presents later in childhood or, more frequently, in adults in the second to third decade of life. Brain AVMs present with seizures, hemorrhage, progressive neurological dysfunction or headaches. On occasion, these lesions are found incidentally during an MRI or CT scan of the brain obtained for other reasons (see image 13-02 below).

Image 13-02

An AVM nidus

Brain AVMs can be difficult to treat and often require a multidisciplinary approach to therapy. At the Center for Endovascular Surgery-INN, embolization is the first line of attack in the management of this condition. Embolization for arteriovenous malformation may be done as the sole form of treatment or in preparation for microsurgical resection or radiation therapy. For patients with cerebral AVMs that cannot be cured due to the size or location of their lesion, palliative embolization can improve the patient's quality of life and diminish symptoms such as headaches, seizures or other problems.