Abstract
Brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are highly complex vascular lesions, which may become symptomatic by causing hemorrhagic stroke, epilepsy, chronic headache and/or focal neurological deficits. An increasing number of AVMs are also found incidentally in MRI and CT scans performed for other reasons. It is mandatory to understand the natural history and prognosis of these malformations when evaluating the risks that may be associated with the treatment. In this review, we discuss the symptomatology, hemorrhage risk and mortality associated with their natural course.
Conflicts of interest statement We declare that we have no conflict of interest.
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Acknowledgements
AVM research by our group has been supported by the Paavo Nurmi Foundation, the Maire Taponen Foundation, and the Neurological Foundation of Finland. The authors declare that they do not have any conflicts of interest.
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Laakso, A., Dashti, R., Juvela, S., Niemelä, M., Hernesniemi, J. (2010). Natural History of Arteriovenous Malformations: Presentation, Risk of Hemorrhage and Mortality. In: Surgical Management of Cerebrovascular Disease. Acta Neurochirurgica Supplementum, vol 107. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-211-99373-6_10
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