Four cases of intracranial AVM successfully treated by radiation therapy

We have treated three patients with conventional radiotherapy and one with stereotactic radiosurgery and report the follow-up results. A 63-year-old woman had a dural arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in the right cavernous sinus. She was irradiated using 10 MV X-ray with a total of 30 Gy. Post irradiation angiography showed a complete absence of dural AVM. A 62-year-old woman had a dural AVM fed by the left external carotid artery in the right cavernous sinus. Embolization by gelfoam was performed before irradiation. The irradiation was given with a total dose of 30 Gy. Post irradiation angiography showed disappearance of the dural AVM. A 26-year-old woman had a small AVM (about 20 x 15 x 15 mm) in the posterior corpus callosum. An operation was performed but the AVM was not excised completely. We irradiated to the residual AVM with a total of 30 Gy. The follow-up angiography one year after treatment, showed disappearance of the AVM. She had no neurological deficit two years after the treatment. A 14-year-old boy had a small AVM (about 20 x 15 x 10 mm) in the left anterior wall of the fourth ventricle. The AVM was located deeply, so an operation was not performed. Radiosurgery was undertaken four months after onset in Buenos Aires. The total dose was 36 Gy. The follow-up angiography one year after treatment, showed disappearance of the AVM. He also had no neurological deficit two years after the treatment. These four cases of AVM (two dural AVMs) were successfully treated by radiation therapy. No side effect was observed. (author)