[Peroperative embolization of cerebral arteriovenous malformations with butylcyanoacrylate (18 cases)]

18 cases of cerebral Arterio-Venous malformations (AVM) are reported, treated by direct intra-operative embolisation. A 50% mixture of Butyl-2-Cyanoacrylate and Mono-Iodo-Stearate of Ethyl was used. The clinical history of the patients was a long history of seizures in 8 cases a sub-arachnoid or intra-cerebral hemorrhage in 9 cases, and a transient motor deficit in 1 case. The AVM site was supra-tentorial in 16 cases, and infra-tentorial in 2 cases. The AVM size was large with numerous feeders in 13 cases, and limited with a few feeders in 5 cases. Technically, after catheterisation of a cortical feeder, an intra-operative angiogram was performed (except for the first 6 cases) then the polymerizing mixture was pushed inside the feeder (from 1 cc to 3 cc routinely, depending of the AVM size; exceptionally 7 cc and 11 cc were used). In the immediate postoperative course, 1 patient died (case with the 11 cc embolization), 3 patients had a serious postoperative hemorrhage, 4 patients presented with a transient postoperative deficit, and in 10 patients the postoperative course was uneventful. The long term results are: 1 postoperative death, 1 death after recurrence of intra-cerebral hemorrhage (3 years postoperatively), 1 hemiplegia, 15 patients without long lasting complication. The embolization was performed as unique treatment in 14 cases, and was followed with the AVM removal in 4 cases (immediately in 1 case, delayed in 1 case, late after recurrence of intra-cerebral hemorrhage in 2 cases, respectively after 3 years and 2 years).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)