Arteriovenous malformation model in Swine: a natural history study: preliminary results

The well-known porcine arteriovenous malformation (AVM) model introduced by Massoud et al has been widely used as an acutephase model. However, there are no data available on the patency rate in long-term follow-up. Therefore this study is dedicated to the natural history of porcine AVM model after creation. Three piglets (Yucatan micropigs, aged 12 to 14 months) were used in this study. The model was created by microsurgical anastomosis in an end-to-end fashion between the common carotid artery (CCA) and external jugular vein (EJV) on the left side, and by direct ligation of the left external carotid artery (ECA). Angiography was performed before and immediately after model creation, as well as at 44, 103, 188 and 245 days in all animals. A successful high-flow brain AVM model was established in all animals. The fistula created by end-to-end anastomosis remained intact and thus the successful AVM model maintained in all models over a follow-up period as long as more than eight months. The AVM-model in swine could be used as a chronic model to test the neurointerventional techniques of AVM treatment.We re-created the well known AVM-model by a terminal anastomosis between CCA and EJV and we hypothesize that the good long-term patency of the model is related to the type of anastomosis performed between CCA and EJV.