Acquired digital arteriovenous malformation: a report of six cases.

Arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is usually congenital, but an acquired type is also known, of which most are due to a previous injury. We report six patients with acquired digital AVM, all having a small patch of AVM localized to the tip of one finger, and therefore quite different from ordinary AVM which consists of a large pulsatile mass. Histologically, dilated venous and arterial vessels were present in the dermis. Tumour-like growth was absent; thus, these six cases could be differentiated from arteriovenous haemangioma. Because of the characteristic anatomical site, unique clinical manifestations and histology, this appears to be a new and distinctive entity.