Abstract
OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Complete spontaneous obliteration of a brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a rare event, with 67 angiographically proven cases in the world literature. We present a new case and a systematic literature review to determine possible mechanisms underlying this unusual phenomenon. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: One patient with a brain AVM was referred for radiosurgical treatment. Shortly before treatment however, complete spontaneous regression occurred. This patient had experienced a hemorrhage in the months before referral. RESULTS: We found 38 articles in which 67 cases of complete and spontaneous regression of a brain AVM were presented. Male to female ratio was 1.2, with a mean age of 37 years (range 1-81). Regression occurred in 72% without new neurological events. Median size of the nidus was 2 cm (range 1-7). There was a single arterial feeder in 46 % and a single draining vein in 59%. CONCLUSION: Spontaneous regression of a brain AVM is the result of multiple interacting factors. Intracranial hemorrhage and the presence of a single draining vein seem to play a major role in this process
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1375-1382 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Journal of neurology |
Volume | 251 |
Issue number | 11 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Nov 2004 |
Keywords
- Cerebral Angiography/methods
- Humans
- Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations/diagnostic imaging
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Radiosurgery/methods
- Remission, Spontaneous
- Review Literature as Topic