The holistic and local perspectives in teaching spinal arteriovenous malformations.

Background: The spinal arteriovenous malformations (sAVMs) have been challenging entities to diagnose and treat. The small structure, important function, and complex vascular anatomy of the spinal cord increase the difficulty of treating sAVMs.

Objective: The combining holistic and local perspectives in the diagnosis and treatment of sAVMs were provided to teach spinal vascular anatomy and AVMs.

Methods and results: A holistic view is to fully understand the anatomical and physiological effects of intracranial vascular lesions on the spinal cord circulatory system, as well as the anatomical and physiological effects of local sAVM on the entire spinal cord circulatory system, such as the relationship between lesions and surrounding blood vessels. The local view is to fully understand the macroscopic and microscopic vascular architectural characteristics of the lesion. The local view is closely related to the treatment of lesions and the holistic view is closely related to the effectiveness and side effects of treatment, which should be given attention in current clinical practice. The early diagnosis and treatment of sAVMs may improve outcomes.

Conclusion: A holistic and local perspective is essential to developing an understanding of the angioarchitecture, pathophysiology, natural history, treatment options, and classification of the different types of sAVMs.