Onyx embolization of a lingual arteriovenous malformation

Head and neck arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), including lingual AVMs, are unusual and rare. There are many treatment options including sclerotherapy, endovascular or percutaneous embolization, and surgical excision. A combination of preoperative embolization and surgical resection is commonly used for head and neck AVMs. However, in most cases, surgical resection causes significant morbidity. Single-modality approaches such as transarterial embolization are sometimes performed. Herein, we used the copolymer Onyx (ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer) as an embolizing agent and obtained satisfactory therapeutic outcomes. To our knowledge, this is the first report of lingual AVMs treated using Onyx embolization.