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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
Permanent Cerebral Vessel Occlusion via Double Ligature and Transection
Published on: July 21, 2013
Spontaneous obliteration of brain arteriovenous malformations: illustrative cases
Kevin Agyemang1,2, Anna Rose2, Olatomiwa Olukoya2
11Neurosurgical Department, Institute of Neurological Sciences, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, United Kingdom; and.
Background:
Spontaneous angiographic obliteration of a brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is considered a rare outcome, with most cases in the literature related to prior hemorrhage in small brain AVMs. The authors present a prospective, single center, consecutive case series. The clinical course and radiographic features of four cases with spontaneous obliteration of brain AVM were analyzed.
Observations:
The median age of patients in this series was 47.6 years, with an equal gender split. The median maximum brain AVM diameter was 2 cm. The median time to spontaneous obliteration was 26 months, with hemorrhage preceding this in three out of four cases and a prolonged latency in the only case with a nidus size larger than 3 cm and no hemorrhage.
Lessons:
The present study provides additional information to allow clinicians to counsel patients about the rare outcomes of conservative management. This work extends our understanding of when this phenomenon can occur by reporting on the differences associated with spontaneous obliteration of larger AVMs.
