STEREOTAXIC RADIOSURGERY - AN ALTERNATIVE FOR TREATMENT OF PROFOUND CEREBRAL ARTERIOVENOUS-MALFORMATIONS

Background. - Cerebral arteriovenous malformations are usually treated by excision or selective embolization. Some untreatable malformations may be presently cured by radiosurgery. Case report. - A 10 year-old girl without previous illness suffered from a sudden quadriventricular hemorrhage due to arteriovenous malformation. Initially the child rec overed with symptomatic treatment. Neurosurgery and arterial embolizat ion being impossible. Gamma-Unit treatment was performed. Treatment wa s first well tolerated but 8 months later, left hemiparesis and langua ge disorders occurred, due to radionecrosis. These complications were dramatically improved by corticosteroids. Conclusion. - Gamma-Unit tre atment can be successfully proposed for treating those malformation th at are inaccessible to surgery or embolization.