Evaluation of Susceptibility-weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging and 4d-time-resolved Magnetic Resonance Angiography in Brain Arteriovenous Malformations

Brain arteriovenous malformations are abnormal communications between brain arteries and veins with an intervening tangle of abnormal arteries (nidus). Brain AVMs may be asymptomatic or symptomatic, presenting with acute hemorrhage or neurological symptoms. Brain AVMs that have not bled carry a yearly risk of intracranial hemorrhage of approximately 4% (Ondra et al.). The management is multidisciplinary involving neurosurgeons, interventional neuroradiologists, radiation physicians, neurologists and allied health care personnel. Patients may be treated with open neurosurgery, endovascular embolization, radiation therapy or any combination of these treatments. The goal of the treatment is to eliminate the brain AVM while preserving normal flow to the surrounding normal arteries. This involves obliteration of the shunting of blood via the AVM arteries to veins by a variety of treatments. The treatment regimen is individualized dependent on natural history, the angioarchitecture, location, risk of treatment(s) and patient wishes.