ABSTRACT
The most devastating presentation associated with arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) of the brain is intracerebral hemorrhage. Numerous natural history studies have demonstrated a substantial (3% to 4% per year) risk of hemorrhage in patients harboring AVMs [1-5]. Several treatment modalities (microsurgery, radiosurgery, or endovascular therapy) are available that may eliminate the lesion before a hemorrhage can occur-or recur, in the case of a hemorrhagic presentation. When an AVM is amenable to safe microsurgical resection, this therapy is preferred because it offers immediate cure and elimination of hemorrhage risk. When the surgical morbidity is judged to be excessive, radiosurgery offers a reasonable expectation of delayed cure.
