Intracranial arteriovenous malformations. Current imaging and treatment.

Patients with intracranial arteriovenous malformations (AVM) can expect significant mortality (15% to 20%) and morbidity (20% to 30%) over a 15-year to 20-year period. Recent advances in interventional neuroradiology, neurosurgery, neuroanesthesia, and stereotactic radiotherapy provide the opportunity to obliterate many of these lesions that were untreatable previously. The overall risk from treatment is estimated to be less than 50% that associated with untreated AVMs. For these reasons, it is important for the diagnostic radiologist to understand the diagnosis, natural history, treatment choices, and risks associated with patients with intracranial AVMs.