Spontaneous arteriovenous malformation of the ear

Arterio-venous (A-V) malformations of the ear are uncommon lesions. While most are secondary to trauma, spontaneous lesions are very rare. A-V malformations anywhere in the body can have a range of clinical effects from mild disfigurement to cardiac failure. Treatment of these lesions poses a challenge to the surgeon due to their extreme vascularity and high incidence of recurrence. Highly selective arterial embolization and surgical resection offer the best chance for cure. In this article, the authors present a case of acquired A-V malformation of the ear, which was treated successfully by surgical excision without pre-operative embolization with no recurrence on follow-up proving that in areas of easy and superficial access, a pre-operative embolization need not be routinely carried out in cases of small to medium sized vascular tumors.