Exclusive surgical approach for facial arteriovenous malformations in precarious conditions

Abstract

Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are high-flow vascular lesions that does not regress spontaneously. They are located in the cranio-facial region in 50% of cases. Most of the time, the management of these lesions is a combination of surgery and vascular embolization. However, when the conditions are precarious, even without access to embolization, it's possible to treat some of those lesions with safety. We report four cases of patients suffering from cranio-facial AVM, treated exclusively by surgery during humanitarian missions.

Keywords: Arteriovenous malformation surgery; Cranio-facial arteriovenous malformation; Pathologic angiogenesis; Resection.