ABSTRACT
The term “cerebral vascular malformations” covers a range of vascular anomalies that involve the brain and its surrounding tissue. Due to their slow-fl ow state, capillary telangiectasias and cavernous angiomas, both abnormalities of the capillary network, are not documented by cerebral angiography and are, therefore, defi ned as “angiographically occult” cerebrovascular malformations. Developmental venous anomalies (also known as venous angiomas) are aberrant venous drainage pathways that most commonly remain asymptomatic. Dural arteriovenous fi stulas (AVFs) are high-fl ow vascular malformations that primarily involve the dural venous sinuses. Finally, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) consist of tumorlike aggregations of abnormal blood vessels with high-fl ow arteriovenous shunting. This chapter focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of cerebral AVMs.
