Intracranial arteriovenous malformations. Conservative and surgical treatment

The authors present a consecutive series of 145 patients admitted to the Institute of Neurosurgery of Rome University with an intracranial arteriovenous malformation (AVM). Of these, 95 received surgical care, and 50 were treated conservatively. Total removal of the AVM was performed in all but three of the patients treated surgically, and all underwent postoperative angiography. The postoperative mortality was 6.3%. A long-term follow-up study showed a mortality rate of 20% in the group of patients receiving conservative treatment, while no recurrence of bleeding was observed in the surgical group. The choice of treatment of these malformations is still an open question. The authors' contribution to the discussion is based on the late results of both surgical and conservative treatment.