Dr. Matthew Amans is a neurointerventional radiologist, a specialist in less invasive procedures to diagnose and treat disorders involving blood vessels of the brain and spine, such as stroke. He cares for both adults and children. He focuses particularly on treating dural arteriovenous fistulas (abnormal vein-artery connections in the brain's protective membrane), acute strokes, cerebral aneurysms and idiopathic intracranial hypertension (high pressure inside the skull for unknown reasons). His expertise includes using directed chemotherapy for cerebral tumors, including pediatric retinoblastoma.
Amans' interest in pulsatile tinnitus – in which people perceive a rhythmic noise in their ears that has no outside source – led him to found the UCSF Pulsatile Tinnitus Clinic. He serves as co-director of the clinic, a team of doctors and researchers that has achieved great success in identifying and curing the underlying causes of pulsatile tinnitus. Patients from around the world come to the clinic for diagnosis and treatment, particularly if they have a complex dural arteriovenous fistula or idiopathic intracranial hypertension that requires a venous sinus stent (a tiny tube placed to widen the vein).
Amans also leads a UCSF laboratory dedicated to pulsatile tinnitus and funded by the National Institutes of Health. His research team has developed new noninvasive methods of evaluating blood flow abnormalities in the brain's vessels, including a way to visualize flow in the cerebral veins. These pioneering efforts illuminate how flow patterns can generate vascular diseases and the perception of sound experienced in pulsatile tinnitus. In addition to diagnostic techniques, the lab has developed novel therapies for vascular diseases, using technologies that disrupt flow.
Amans earned his medical degree at Wayne State University School of Medicine. He completed a residency in radiology at Weill Cornell Medical College, followed by fellowships in neuroradiology and neurointerventional radiology at UCSF.
Amans is a senior member of the Society of Neurointerventional Surgery and a senior member of the American Society of Neuroradiology. He has leadership roles in numerous professional organizations, including the American Society of Neuroradiology, American College of Radiology, International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and American Heart Association. He is also a reviewer for various medical journals serving the fields of radiology, neurosurgery and neurology.
A music lover, Amans plays the guitar professionally and writes songs in his free time.
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