[Radiotherapy of arteriovenous malformations of the brain]

Arterio-venous malformations of the brain are accompanied by a risk of hemorrhages which increases in the course of time. Thus a therapy is indicated as soon as the arterio-venous malformation is discovered. If surgical treatment is contra-indicated, radiotherapy can be applied with a high rate of success (obliteration of the arterio-venous malformation after two years in up to 88% of cases). Percutaneous radiotherapy has to be performed with a stereotaxic technique under controlled conditions. The stipulations for this treatment are described on the basis of our own method. Between August 1982 and July 1983, twenty patients have been treated without any complications due to therapy or to the disease. This form of radiotherapy using the bremsstrahlung of a linear accelerator can be considered as an alternative method with respect to proton irradiation.