A rare extracranial arteriovenous malformation of the face: A case report

Abstract

Arteriovenous malformations are classic examples of congenital vascular anomalies involving the head and the neck. Extracranial arteriovenous malformations constitute a small subgroup of these vascular malformations. Despite the rarity of these cases, their tendency to grow throughout life and their resulting complications make them one of the most life-threatening vascular lesions. Effective treatment of extracranial arteriovenous malformations is quite challenging, and different techniques have been proposed. The ultimate goal is to ablate the whole nidus, which is not readily achieved by either surgical resection or embolization. Therefore, the aim of arteriovenous malformations’ management is often the control of the lesions, rather than their complete obliteration. This study reports a case of giant facial arteriovenous malformation that was successfully treated by selective embolization and complete radical resection.