Arteriovenous Malformations

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Treatment

At UCSF Children's Hospital, a team of experts specializing in malformations that affect blood vessels in the brain works together with you and your family to develop the best possible treatment plan for your child. This team includes a neurologist, neurosurgeon, interventional neuroradiologist and radiation oncologist.

Because arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are one of the leading causes of debilitating hemorrhagic strokes in young people, the goal of treatment is to reduce the risk of stroke. Fortunately, today there are many safe and highly effective therapies available to successfully treat AVMs. These include surgery, radiation therapy, embolization and radiosurgery using a machine called a Gamma Knife.

• Surgery -- In many cases, surgery may be recommended to completely remove the AVM. In addition to conventional brain surgery, advanced, minimally invasive surgical techniques are available to successfully treat AVMs.

  For instance, the Gamma Knife, an advanced radiosurgery treatment for abnormal blood vessel formations, is often recommended for children with complex, deep seated or brain stem AVMs. Despite its name, it isn't a knife at all. It delivers a single, very finely focused, high dose of radiation precisely to its target, while causing little or no damage to surrounding tissue. The Gamma Knife may be used in combination with other treatments, such as surgery, or by itself as the primary therapy.

• Embolization -- Embolization may also be part of your child's treatment plan. This technique aims to reduce blood flow to the AVM by obstructing surrounding blood vessels. During this procedure, the AVM is filled with specially designed coils, glues or spheres, which plug its vessels. As a result, blood flow is decreased, making the AVM more manageable for future procedures such as surgery.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Children's Hospital.
Last updated February 26, 2008