Combined radiological and surgical treatment of arteriovenous malformations of the head and neck

Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are high-flow lesions. More than 50% of all AVMs are located in the head and neck region. They represent a therapeu tic challenge because of their hemodynamic characteristics and their modali ty of growth. AVMs have a tendency to recur and often require radical resec tion, making surgical ablation and reconstruction difficult. AVMs require a ngiography not only for diagnostic purposes but as an initial therapeutic s tep in the form of embolization, Surgical ablation, which follows a few day s after embolization, is facilitated by the reduction in vascularity and sh rinkage of the lesion, both of which are afforded by the embolization. Thes e benefits allow for less blood loss at the time of ablation, and less exte nsive resection, The authors report their experience with 16 patients with extracranial AVMs of the head and neck examined over the last decade.