Arteriovenous Malformations (AVM)

About Arteriovenous Malformations

An arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a tangle of blood vessels that disrupts blood flow in the brain. A congenital defect, it is the leading cause of stroke in young people.

Diagnosis
MyMichigan Medical Center in Midland, Michigan has state-of-the-art technology for detecting and diagnosing arteriovenous malformation. If your doctor suspects you have this defect, he may refer you to one of our board-certified neurosurgeons (see the listed of doctors located at the right). Your doctor or specialist may use some of the following methods to arrive at a diagnosis:

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) – This diagnostic tool, which uses magnetic scanning, is useful in diagnosing AVM because it can “see” through the bones of the skull to the tissue underneath.
• Computerized Tomography (CT) scan – Also known as a CAT scan, this advanced x-ray technology provides a series of detailed pictures of tissues, bone and blood vessels.
• Arteriogram – This x-ray technology relies on an injection of a special “dye” (contrast medium) to provide an image of the blood vessels in the brain.
• Magnetic Resonance Arteriogram (MRA) – This combines the advantages of both MRI and arteriogram technologies.

Treatment Options
Treatment for arteriovenous malformation depends on a number of factors, including the patient’s age and general health. If you are diagnosed with AVM, your physician may recommend any one or a combination of the following treatment options:

Gamma Knife surgery – A highly specialized technology with sub-millimeter accuracy, this relies on computer-assisted planning to target and then destroy the malformation with high-energy radiation. This type of surgery doesn’t require opening the skull or damaging other brain tissue, yet it has a success rate of about 85 percent within two years of treatment, offering new hope to many AVM patients in Michigan and Western Ontario.

Embolization – This seals off the malformation with a glue-like substance injected into the blood vessels of the brain through a tiny tube (catheter) inserted in a leg artery and guided by x-ray to the location being treated.

Surgery – Called a craniotomy, a neurosurgeon makes an opening in the skull to remove all or as much of the malformation as possible through microsurgery.

The MyMichigan Difference

A recognized leader in neuroscience and cancer care in Michigan.

• Board-certified neurosurgeons and radiation oncologists specially trained and experienced in a variety of treatment methods, including Gamma Knife^® surgery.
• Four hospitals and three radiation oncology centers located in safe and friendly communities in the middle of Michigan.

Gamma Knife^® is a registered trademark of Elekta Group