Interventions in Intracranial and Spinal Arteriovenous Malformations

Cerebral AVMs are vascular lesions composed of abnormal tangles of blood vessels with pathologic shunting from arterial to venous side. They have a higher propensity to bleed. The majority of the symptomatic cerebral AVMs need to be treated, and microneurosurgical removal, endovascular embolization, and radiosurgical obliteration are the principal therapeutic modalities employed alone or in various combinations for the purpose. Proper understanding of pathology, angioarchitecture, natural history, varied clinical presentations of cerebral AVMs, and knowledge of various treatment options are essential for making optimal therapeutic decisions in clinical practice. The following subsections intend to address the same. Spinal vascular malformations are uncommon and are generally viewed as complex disorders, difficult to diagnose and treat. However, a systematic approach to the clinical and angiographic aspects can make it easier to understand them and further help with the management plan.