Spontaneous Regression Of A Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformation; Report Of A Case And Review Of The Literature

Abstract

Complete spontaneous resolution of an intracranial AVM without any antecedent history of direct surgical intervention is uncommon. A review of the available literature yielded only seven cases, most of them in single case reports. Although spontaneous resolution is acknowledged as a rare feature in the complex natural history of AVM, its true incidence is unknown. Causes or factors that predispose to spontaneous regression of AVMs remain poorly understood. The majority of the documented cases of spontaneous resolutions have occurred in small or medium sized supratentorial lesions supplied predominantly by one major feeder. We report herein the unique occurrence of complete spontaneous regression of a deep left temporal AVM in a 22- year-old right-handed man. This case typifies the common picture, a clinical presentation of intracranial hemorrhage with raised intracranial pressure followed by complete resolution of the lesion.