Multimodal management of arteriovenous malformations of the basal ganglia and thalamus: factors affecting obliteration and outcome.

Objective: Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) of the basal ganglia and thalamus are particularly difficult lesions to treat, accounting for 3%-13% of all AVMs in surgical series and 23%-44% of malformations in radiosurgery series. The goal of this study was to report the results of multimodal management of basal ganglia and thalamic AVMs and investigate the factors that influence radiographic cure and good clinical outcomes.

Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database of all patients treated at the authors' institution.

Brainstem arteriovenous malformations: lesion characteristics and treatment outcomes.

OBJECTIVE Brainstem arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are rare lesions that are difficult to diagnose and treat. They are often more aggressive in their behavior when compared with their supratentorial counterparts. The consequence of a brainstem hemorrhage is often devastating, and many patients are in poor neurological status at presentation.