[Endovascular treatment of brain arteriovenous malformation]

Eighteen patients with arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) of the brain were treated with endovascular techniques between 1993 and 1996. The following angiograms showed complete obliteration of the nidus in 2 patients, 70%-90% reduction in nidus volume in 5, 50%-70% reduction in 3, and < 50% in the remaining 3. Two patients suffered from moderate neurologic deficits after embolization. One week after the treatment, 4 patients with superficial AVMs underwent surgery, and 2 with deep-situated AVMs received gamma-knife therapy. 14 patients were followed up, suffered from more frequent epilepsy, and 1 had intracranial haemorrhage 6 months after embolization. A few AVMs can be cured by endovascular embolization. In regard to some large AVMs or AVMs situated at important functional areas, embolization can facilitate surgery and radiotherapy afterwards.