Vascular Malformations

With the advancement of endovascular techniques and therapies over recent years, the management of patients with vascular malformations has changed. Historically, extensive surgical resections yielded poor results with high risk and morbidity. The treatment paradigm has shifted to endovascular therapy such that embolization and sclerotherapy are the first line of treatment. There still remains a role for traditional surgical techniques, though usually in a hybrid setting. A multidisciplinary approach to the management of patients with vascular malformations has led to improved outcomes. Vascular malformations arise in young and healthy patients with a normal life span ahead of them. These conditions are widely misdiagnosed and misunderstood, and interventionalists can be an invaluable source of information and treatment resulting in dramatic improvement in quality of life. The spectrum of disease is vast, and the physicians who treat vascular disorders often see these anomalies.