Association of cerebral arteriovenous malformation with cerebral arterial fenestration

Cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are rarely associated with other vascular lesions. Our goal was to examine the incidence of the coexistence of cerebral AVMs and cerebral arterial fenestrations. During the past 18 years, 51 patients with a cerebral AVM were examined with selective cerebral angiography in our institution. We retrospectively reviewed these cerebral angiographies and noted associated cerebral arterial fenestrations. We found five fenestrations distributed among 3 patients. In each patient one fenestration was located in the vertebral artery (VA). In 1 patient there were additional basilar and left middle cerebral artery fenestrations. Vertebral artery angiography was performed in 43 of the 51 patients; thus, the frequency of coexistence of AVM and VA fenestration was 7% (3 of 43). Although the clinical significance may not be great, we found a noteworthy incidence of associated VA fenestrations in AVM cases.