What is Arteriovenous Malformation?
Arteriovenous malformations, also known as AVMs, are vascular malformations in which masses of arteries and veins are tangled and bypass the capillaries that send oxygen to surrounding tissues. Because these blood vessels are tangled, blood flow is slowed or stopped at the point of the tangle of arteries and veins. An AVM can be located almost anywhere in the body, but spinal cord and brain AVMs are the most common.
AVMs affect only a small percentage of the U.S. population and the population of the world. In fact, it’s estimated that about 1% of the world has an AVM, and about 1% of people with an AVM die from complications directly related to the disorder. Many times, AVMs are never found, or they can be found at the time of autopsy.
Brain AVMs are one of the more common types of AVMs. Humans have three types of blood vessels: arteries, veins, and capillaries. When a person has a brain AVM, blood never reaches the capillaries, which are responsible for distributing the oxygen-rich blood to the brain. This tangle of arteries and veins disrupts the flow of oxygenated blood to the brain and oxygen-depleted blood in the veins away from the brain. Instead, blood passes directly from the arteries to the veins.
Arteriovenous malformations can happen anywhere in the body, but they are most common in areas of the central nervous system, such as the brain and the spinal cord. AVMs can also get progressively larger as a person ages.
While this disorder is usually present at birth, of the people who exhibit symptoms, most won’t see any signs until at least their twenties. This is because symptoms are the result of a slow buildup of neurological damage, and this damage progresses as a person ages.
Symptoms of a Brain Arteriovenous Malformation
Some people with AVM will go most of their lives without symptoms. In fact, many people only discover that they have an AVM because they’re receiving treatment for another health condition. Pregnancy can make it more likely that a woman will have symptoms associated with their already existing AVM, but even this isn’t always true. If the symptoms occur, the severity can vary. Some people might only experience mild to moderate discomfort, but some people might experience symptoms that are debilitating or even life threatening.
Many times, a hemorrhage in the brain is one of the first symptoms of a brain arteriovenous malformation. A hemorrhage occurs when the AVM ruptures, and this is often the first sign of someone with AVM.
In people who don’t experience a hemorrhage or an embolization, some of the other common symptoms include seizures and weakness or numbness in a specific location in the body. Very strong headaches, difficulties seeing or speaking, an inability to understand other people, and unsteadiness in movements are other common symptoms.
Some people with AVM might also have a bluish tinge to some parts of their skin because there’s a lack of oxygen reaching certain areas of the body. Dizziness, muscle weakness, and general confusion are some of the other symptoms that can present themselves.
Generally, if no symptoms present themselves by the age of 50, the person is likely to live the rest of their lives without any complications.
Treatment for Arteriovenous Malformation
If your health care provider suspects that you might have an arteriovenous malformation, there are a series of tests that they might have you undergo. A CT scan, which stands for Computed Tomography scan, is a type of test that uses X-rays to scan the interior of the body.
An MRI, which stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, is a type of test that’s even more beneficial in diagnosing and understanding the circumstances around the AVM. An MRI machine is able to scan all of the blood vessels in a particular area of the body, which will reveal the tangle of arteries and veins. An angiogram and Magnetic Resonance Angiography are two other types of tests that help doctors see the veins and arteries.
Once the AVM has been diagnosed, there are a number of procedures that people with AVM can undergo. For instance, a doctor might prescribe medications to alleviate pain and seizures. Another option that might be explored is surgery. There are three types of surgery, which include regular surgery, radiosurgery, and endovascular embolization. With radiosurgery, a high concentration of radiation is sent to a localized region. An endovascular embolization is when a catheter is inserted into the groin and travels through the circulatory system until it reaches the malformation. At this point, the blood vessels are sealed.
