Congenital pelvic arteriovenous malformation presenting with urinary retention: a case report

To report a case of congenital pelvic arteriovenous malformation (pAVM) with urinary retention.

A 39-year-old male patient presented with inability to void urine for 8 h. He did not have a history of dysuria or fever, but had increasing urinary frequency and difficulty in voiding over 2 years. Examination revealed a suprapubic mass without external signs of vascular anomaly. A huge, soft, irregular, non-pulsating mass was felt rectally. This mass did not disappear on urinary bladder decompression. Subsequent ultrasound and CT scan revealed pAVMs filling most of the pelvic cavity.

To our knowledge, this is the first report of a male patient with congenital pAVM presenting with urinary retention, emphasizing the need for a high index of suspicion for pAVM to avoid potential severe bleeding during suprapubic catheterization for urinary drainage.