Scottish Intracranial Vascular Malformation Study (SIVMS): evaluation of methods, ICD-10 coding, and potential sources of bias in a prospective, population-based cohort.

Background And Purpose: The rarity of intracranial vascular malformations (IVMs) and the infrequency of their outcomes make large, prolonged cohort studies the best means to evaluate their frequency and prognosis.

Methods: The Scottish Intracranial Vascular Malformation Study (SIVMS) is a prototype prospective, population-based study of adults resident in Scotland and diagnosed for the first time with an IVM after January 1, 1999. We evaluated the design of SIVMS using 2 complete years of data for adults with arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) of the brain.

Prospective, population-based detection of intracranial vascular malformations in adults: the Scottish Intracranial Vascular Malformation Study (SIVMS).

Background And Purpose: Intracranial vascular malformations (IVMs) are an important cause of intracranial hemorrhage, epilepsy, and long-term disability in adults. There are no published prospective, population-based studies dedicated to the detection of any type of IVM (cavernous malformations, venous malformations, and arteriovenous malformations [AVMs] of the brain or dura). Therefore, we established the Scottish Intracranial Vascular Malformation Study (SIVMS) to monitor detection and long-term prognosis of people with IVMs.