Radiosurgery for arteriovenous malformations.

Abstract

In summary, many reports indicate that approximately 80% of AVMs in the "radiosurgery-sized range" will be angiographically obliterated 2 years after radiosurgical treatment. Permanent neurologic complications are rare (2 to 3%). The major drawback of this treatment method is that patients are unprotected against hemorrhage during the 2-year latent period. Although radiosurgery has been used primarily as a single modality of treatment in previous studies, more recently it has been increasingly used as part of a multimodality treatment approach incorporating surgical and endovascular methods. Radiosurgery is currently of unproven value in the treatment of cavernous malformations.