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Guidelines for sites linking to mayoclinic.orgA brain (intracranial) arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is an abnormal tangle of blood vessels in your brain.
Oxygen-rich blood normally enters your brain through arteries, which branch into smaller arterioles and even smaller blood vessels (capillaries). Your brain uses oxygen removed from the blood in your capillaries. Oxygen-depleted blood then passes into small venules and then into larger veins that drain the blood from your brain to your heart and lungs. In an arteriovenous malformation, your blood passes directly from your arteries to your veins, bypassing capillaries. The arteries and veins in an AVM can rupture, causing bleeding into the brain. AVMs also can cause seizures, headaches or noise in your ear. AVMs often are detected on a brain imaging study performed for symptoms unrelated to the AVM.
Dural arteriovenous fistulas, a type of arteriovenous malformation, usually aren't as dangerous and in some cases are easier to treat than other types of AVMs. Dural arteriovenous fistulas are abnormal connections between arteries in the scalp and the tough covering over the brain (dura) and a draining vein or sinus.
At Mayo Clinic, specialists in brain conditions (neurologists), brain surgeons (neurosurgeons), brain imaging specialists (neuroradiologists) and many other specialists work together as an integrated, coordinated team to diagnose AVMs and develop the most appropriate treatment plan for you. In Mayo Clinic's efficient system, your testing and treatment can be done in days, not weeks. The team performs many surgeries to treat all types of arteriovenous malformations, from the simplest to the most complex condition.
Specialists at Mayo Clinic use many types of technology, including computer-assisted brain surgery, intraoperative MRI, radiosurgery (including the Gamma Knife™) and brain mapping to treat people who have arteriovenous malformations.
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., is ranked among the Best Hospitals for neurology and neurosurgery by U.S. News & World Report. Mayo Clinic also ranks among the Best Children's Hospitals in neurology and neurosurgery.
Read more about arteriovenous malformation at MayoClinic.com.
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