Is an arteriovenous malformation of the brain serious?

Cerebral arteriovenous malformation is a highly heterogeneous disease, meaning that it varies widely from patient to patient. The most serious consequence of a cerebral arteriovenous malformation is a cerebral hemorrhage, with an annual hemorrhage rate of about 1% for an unruptured cerebral arteriovenous malformation and a significantly higher rate of 4.8% for a ruptured cerebral arteriovenous malformation.