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Updated: Jul 18, 2026
Comprehensive Endovascular and Open Surgical Management of Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformations
Published on: October 20, 2017
Pediatric arteriovenous malformation: University of Toronto experience using stereotactic radiosurgery
Gelareh Zadeh1, Yuri M Andrade-Souza, May N Tsao
1Division of Neurosurgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (SHSC), Suite A129, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada.
Introduction And Background:
Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are congenital vascular lesions of the brain, which behave differently in pediatric population compared to adults. Treatment of pediatric AVMs includes a combination of microsurgery, embolization and radiation therapies. However, the role of radiosurgery in the treatment of pediatric AVMs is not fully accepted because of concerns regarding the long-term effects of radiation on the pediatric brain.
Discussion:
In this study, we review our experience at the University of Toronto with treating pediatric AVMs using linear accelerator-based (LINAC) radiosurgery over the past 15 years. We report our results, obliteration rates, and complications on a total of 40 patients. In addition, we provide a review of series published to date combined with our own results to determine whether radiosurgery is a safe and reasonable treatment modality for pediatric AVMs.
