Major haemorrhage from oral arteriovenous malformation during pregnancy: a case report

Abstract

This case report describes the presentation of a pregnant woman at 39 weeks gestation to The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital emergency department (Sydney, NSW) with major haemorrhage from an oral arteriovenous malformation (AVM) and foetal distress. The lesion had grown rapidly during her pregnancy and she had presented to multiple hospitals and dental practitioners who had failed to diagnose her condition and recognize the potential for major complications for the patient and her baby. Bleeding was controlled with manual pressure while she underwent an emergency Caesarean section followed by emergency angiography and partial embolization of the lesion. The bleeding did not recur, and the lesion continued to regress post-partum. This paper illustrates the diagnostic dilemma of recognizing an AVM and also the potentially disastrous consequences that could occur if a dentist was to embark on extractions or other surgical treatment in the vicinity of such a lesion without realizing its significance.