Natural course of the arteriovenous malformations of the brain initially presented by hemorrhage: analysis of a clinical series of 39 patients.

AIM: AVM because of outstanding tendency toward bleeding, even though 20 times more rare then aneurysm on the blood vessels of the brain and her own specific anatomical structure even today represents big neurosurgical challenge.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Series which is shown here consists of 39 patients which were hospitalized in the institute for neurosurgery of the Clinical Center of Serbia in the period between 1995 and 2004. This group was exposed to symptomatic therapy or it was estimated that surgery, embolization and radio surgery.

RESULTS: Combined type of venous drainage brings a high risk (p < 0.001) from repeated bleeding. Combined artery bringing from different flows (p < 0.05) contributes to genesis of 'steal phenomenon', in combination with deep venous drainage it presents predisposing anatomical characteristics for repeated bleeding (p < 0.001) according to our results should present AVM with dimensions 2.5 to 5 cm localized in eloquent zone of big brain with combined type of venous drainage and cobined artery bringing from vertebro-basilar flow and carotid flow.

CONCLUSION: Perception of natural course of AVM point to certainly more benign pathology in regard to other vascular malformations. Specific anatomical structure requires planning of treatment from case to case, most often combination of embolization, radio surgery and surgical treatment.