An acquired cerebral arteriovenous malformation after brain abscess treatment: case report and a review of the literature.

A cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a congenital and static disease. However, there are increasing reports of acquired AVMs. The pathophysiology of an acquired AVM has not been fully elucidated but the suggested pathophysiology is a combination of genetic abnormalities and inflammatory cytokines caused by previous brain insults. We report a patient who developed an acquired AVM after the treatment for a brain abscess. She underwent Gamma Knife surgery to treat the acquired AVM. It is necessary to understand the characteristics of acquired AVMs and to further research acquired AVMs.