Spinal Arterio-Venous Malformations: Clinical Case and Literature Review

Vascular malformations of the spinal cord, namely arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) and fistulas (AVFs), account for less than 5% of intraspinal pathology and cause severe and progressive symptoms. Ultimately, this rarity and heterogeneity of AVMs leads to very diverse treatment options that depend on AVM classification. They represent a developmental abnormality of the vascular system, which is a tangle of poorly formed blood vessels in which the feeding arteries are directly connected to a network of venous drainage without any intervening capillary system. They can occur anywhere in the body, but of major importance are the cerebral and spinal, having a major risk of causing serious neurological damage and can present diagnostic and therapeutic challenges for the radiological and surgical teams. The evaluation of these injuries can be further complicated by the lack of a universally accepted classification scheme. Early diagnosis improves outcomes because patients can benefit from early intervention.