Microwave Ablation for Refractory Giant Maxillofacial Arteriovenous Malformation: A Case Report

Maxillofacial arteriovenous malformation located in the sensitive parts of the nose and lips has been an arduous challenge for doctors to meet a balance between resection and aesthetics in one time. In this report, one patient with a giant arteriovenous malformation covering the forehead, the nose, the lip, and bilateral cheeks and resulting in the appearance of the face like a lion's face, can not meet satisfactory outcomes by other therapeutic methods. We successfully reduced the size of vascular lesion using low-power and short-duration microwave ablation under real-time ultrasound guidance. In the two-year follow-up, the patient's face almost recovered to normality. Microwave ablation is expected to be a new alternative therapy for the treatment of maxillofacial arteriovenous malformations. Laryngoscope, 133:2984-2987, 2023.