High-Flow Arteriovenous Malformations: Treatment Using a Venous Approach.

Abstract

High-flow arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are among the rarest and most recalcitrant lesions in medicine. Patients with these anomalies are best managed longitudinally in tertiary referral centers by dedicated multidisciplinary teams that include surgeons, dermatologists, hematologists, geneticists, and interventional radiologists. A significant percentage of these lesions cannot be cured per se and intervention can worsen symptoms or preclude effective future embolization. Existing classification systems help guide treatment, but in nearly all cases, therapy must be individualized based on patient, symptoms, and lesion angioarchitecture. For various reasons, referral to tertiary centers may be impossible for some patients. The purpose of this article is to provide an approach to the evaluation and treatment of these abnormalities.