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Surgical Management of Arteriovenous Malformations of the Spine

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PanVascular Medicine

Abstract

Vascular malformations of the spine are rare lesions with aggressive natural histories. Patients with spinal arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) and spinal arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) generally present with symptoms of venous congestion and subarachnoid hemorrhage. The goals of treatment for these lesions include eliminating arteriovenous shunting and preventing hemorrhage. Although patients with spinal vascular malformations may present with neurological deficits, many improve after treatment, and aggressive and timely treatment of these lesions is indicated. In this chapter, we present a summary of the clinical presentation, natural history, surgical techniques, and outcomes associated with the treatment of spinal vascular malformations.

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Abbreviations

Spinal arteriovenous fistula (AVF):

An abnormal connection between an artery and vein in the spinal cord

Spinal arteriovenous malformation (AVM):

An abnormal connection between arteries and veins that includes A nidus in the spinal cord

Indocyanine green (ICG):

A fluorescent dye used for the non-invasive monitoring of blood flow

Videoangiography:

A technique for visualization of fluorescence

Microsurgery:

Technique of dissection and manipulation of tissues using fine surgical techniques aided by microscopic magnification and luminescence

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    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

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Correspondence to Robert F. Spetzler .

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Kalani, M.Y.S., Spetzler, R.F. (2014). Surgical Management of Arteriovenous Malformations of the Spine. In: Lanzer, P. (eds) PanVascular Medicine. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37393-0_117-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37393-0_117-1

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