Have you heard of AVM?

Lucky Mae F. Quilao in Tips and Advices

Nov 03, 2020 • 1 min Read

Arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a rare medical condition where there is an abnormal tangle of blood vessels in the brain or along the spine. These tangles may form into clots, and bleeding occurs when pressures build up.

AVM is likened to a stroke on otherwise young and healthy people. AVM patients are caught unaware. They have no hypertensive background. Once stricken with the condition, AVM patients undergo expensive procedures to remove the clots and treat subsequent complications: slurred speech, paralysis, nystagmus, among others.

Medical authorities are not certain what gender it affects most, what causes it, and what triggers it to finally manifest.

There are two kinds of AVM: arteriovenous malformation of the brain (or cerebral AVM) and arteriovenous malformation of the spine (or spinal AVM).

• Cerebral AVM affects less than 1 percent of the population only. The risk for cerebral hemorrhage in individuals with AVM is approximately 2–4% per year. Only after some bleeding or seizures could it be known and only after it is diagnosed could treatment be done to prevent brain damage or stroke.

• Spinal AVM causes progressive weakness of the legs, incontinence, sudden and severe back pain, sensory loss, muscle weakness, localized paralysis, and a more gradual onset of neurological problems in sensation or motor function in the extremities.

Patients experience seizures and headaches before AVM strikes. A seizure is the second most important manifestation of AVMs. Headaches occur at a higher rate among those with AVM but are not the telltale sign of the condition. 

Mae is an AVM survivor