Multiple arteriovenous malformations of spinal cord and brain in a child.

A case of concurrent intracranial and spinal cord arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) is described. A 3-year-old girl presented with paraparesis, bladder-bowel disturbances and bilateral dysesthesia of the lower extremities due to a spinal hematoma, resulting from a spinal AVM. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a hematoma and abnormal vessels in the spinal cord. The AVM was embolized with polyvinyl alcohol particles and silk sutures and was surgically removed. Later, this girl presented with disturbance of consciousness due to an intraventricular hemorrhage, resulting from a cerebral AVM. The cerebral AVM was surgically resected. The coexistence of bleeding cerebral and spinal AVMs is very rare.