ABSTRACT
The first decision to be made in the management of brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) is whether or not to treat the lesion. If the cumulative lifetime risk estimate of rupture of an AVM far exceeds the immediate risks of intervention for a particular patient, treatment is indicated. For each individual patient, a specific treatment plan needs to be tailored (Fig. 1). In this chapter we discuss factors that affect decision analysis and treatment design as well as currently available treatment options. We then indicate how decision analysis proceeds for the treatment of ruptured and unruptured AVMs.
