Arteriovenous Malformations

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Treatments and Therapies

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• Related Issues
• Specifics
• Genetics

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Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

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• Children
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are defects in your vascular system. Your vascular system is your body's network of blood vessels. It includes your:

• Arteries, which carry oxygen-rich blood from your heart to your tissues and organs
• Veins, which carry the blood and waste products back to your heart
• Capillaries, which are tiny blood vessels that connect your small arteries to your small veins

An AVM is a snarled tangle of arteries and veins. They are connected to each other, with no capillaries. That interferes with the blood circulation in an organ.

AVMs can happen anywhere, but they are more common in the brain or spinal cord. Most people with brain or spinal cord AVMs have few, if any, major symptoms. Sometimes they can cause seizures or headaches.

AVMs are rare. The cause of AVMs is unknown, but they seem to develop during pregnancy or soon after birth. Doctors use imaging tests to detect them.

Medicines can help with the symptoms from AVMs. The greatest danger is hemorrhage. Treatment for AVMs can include surgery or focused radiation therapy. Because surgery can be risky, you and your doctor need to make a decision carefully.

NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Start Here

• Arteriovenous Malformation (AVMs) (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
• What Is an Arteriovenous Malformation? (American Stroke Association)

Diagnosis and Tests

• Catheter Angiography (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• CT Angiography (CTA) (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• MR Angiography (MRA) (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• Ultrasound -- Vascular (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Catheter Embolization (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• Intracranial Vascular Treatments (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT) and Pulmonary Hypertension (Pulmonary Hypertension Association) - PDF
• Klippel-Trenaunay Syndrome (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

Specifics

• Arteriovenous Fistula (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Brain AVM (Arteriovenous Malformation) (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT) (Society of Interventional Radiology)

Genetics

• Capillary malformation-arteriovenous malformation syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Parkes Weber syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Arteriovenous Malformations (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: A nationwide cohort study on incidence and mortality associated with extracranial...
• Article: Efficacy of Embolization in Acquired Uterine Vascular Malformations: An Experience in...
• Article: Spinal venous plexus arteriovenous malformation: a clinical image.
• Arteriovenous Malformations -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Also in Spanish

Children

• Arteriovenous Malformations (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Cerebral angiography (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Cerebral arteriovenous malformation (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Pulmonary arteriovenous fistula (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish