Early irradiation effects observed on magnetic resonance imaging and angiography, and positron emission tomography for arteriovenous malformations treated by Gamma Knife radiosurgery.

In 14 patients (7 males and 7 females, age 16-49, mean 29 years), medium-to-large arteriovenous malformations (AVMs; nidus volume 3.5-17.5 cm3, mean 9.4 cm3) were treated by Gamma Knife radiosurgery. Stereotactic MR and conventional angiography were included for targeting to improve targeting accuracy and tissue content in the irradiation volume. Maximum irradiation doses to the nidi were 36-40 Gy (mean 38.9 Gy) and minimum target doses were 18-24 Gy (mean 20 Gy). MR images and MR angiography demonstrated decreasing caliber of feeding vessels and AVM nidus volumes from an early stage, 3 months after radiosurgery, which indicated improvement in cerebral hemodynamics. The improvement correlated well with that observed on PET using [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and with the patients' clinical condition. MR creates an opportunity to monitor treatment effects in a completely noninvasive manner, while conventional angiography remains necessary for verifying complete obliteration of AVMs. More patients and longer follow-ups are needed for clarifying the role of MR techniques in radiosurgery for AVMs.