Screening and treatment of arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in children

Intracranial arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is the most common cause of spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage in childhood. Once a child has intracranial hemorrhage, the condition is dangerous and difficult to manage. The examination of AVMs: CT, MRI, DSA, etc. DSA is the “gold standard” to determine the size and extent of the malformed vascular mass, the blood supplying arteries, the draining meridians and blood flow rate, and the presence of blood theft, which is the most powerful factor for the doctor to choose the treatment. It is the most powerful factor for the doctor to choose the treatment. Arteriovenous malformation treatment: 1. Forced emergency surgery. A significant number of children with AVM suddenly have a large intracranial hemorrhage and their lives are in danger. These children do not have time to undergo DSA before surgery. There are four other scenarios during surgery: a. experienced surgeons can remove the smaller non-critical functional areas of the arteriovenous malformation while removing the clot; b. the vascular mass bleeds more than usual during surgery and the surgeon is forced to remove it; c. the malformed vascular mass is located in a critical functional area and is not removed; d. the vascular mass is located at the edge of the clot and the surgeon chooses not to address it. Regardless of whether the children’s malformed vessels are removed while clearing the hematoma, they still need to undergo DSA in March postoperatively to clarify whether there is any residual AVM. 2. Elective surgical treatment. Surgical resection is the most thorough treatment for AVM, which not only prevents re-bleeding, stops blood theft from the malformed vascular mass and improves cerebral blood supply, but also controls seizures. Our department adopts modern microsurgery technology, the resection surgery effect is satisfactory, and there is no case of severe disability or death in the past 5 years. 3, stereotactic radiation therapy (Gamma knife): AVM less than 3cm in diameter can be considered stereotactic treatment. However, it often takes 1-3 years to see results, and there is still the possibility of bleeding during this period. There are also gamma knife center by adding to do treatment of AVM slightly larger than 3cm in diameter. 4, interventional treatment: less traumatic, fast recovery after surgery, the disadvantage is the high cost, some cases can not be completely eradicated. For complex AVM often requires the combined use of several methods. Small residuals after surgery combined with gamma knife treatment; larger, more difficult to resect AVM can be embolized before surgery or gamma knife treatment. For AVMs located entirely in functional areas, huge AVMs, involving the hypothalamus and brainstem are at great risk of treatment regardless of the method used.