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Occipital arteriovenous malformations

Visual disturbances and presentation

From the Departments of Neurology (Dr. Kupersmith), Ophthalmology (Drs. Kupersmith, Vargas, and Yashar), and Surgical Neuroangiography (Drs. Madrid, Nelson, Seton, and Berenstein), New York University Medical Center, New York, NY.
Supported by Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc., and the R.L. Kohns Foundation.
Received May 11, 1995. Accepted in final form July 7, 1995.
Address correspondence to Dr. Mark J. Kupersmith, Professor of Neurology and Ophthalmology, New York University Medical Center, 530 First Ave. 3B, New York, NY 10016.

Background: Occipital arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) cause a variety of visual disturbances and headaches. Early diagnosis may lead to treatment that reduces the risk of hemorrhages, visual field loss and other neurologic deficits, and death. Methods: We reviewed the records of the 70 patients with occipital AVMs referred to New York University Medical Center to investigate the mode of presentation and the outcome of treatment. Results: Sixty-eight patients presented with one or more symptoms, including homonymous visual disturbances in 39, headache in 39, seizures in 20, and hemorrhage in twenty-six. Visual field loss was more common (p equals 0.0007) and more severe (p equals 0.0002) in patients who bled than in those with unruptured AVMs (16/44). The frequency of visual field loss was not associated with calcarine artery supply to the AVM. Prior to treatment, the fields improved in five patients with visual loss associated with a hemorrhage. Forty-six patients were treated with embolization, surgery, radiosurgery, or a combination of therapies. The AVM was eliminated in 19 of 20 patients (nine with preoperative partial embolization) treated with surgery versus in 4 of 27 patients treated only with embolization. There were two AVM-associated deaths, two subarachnoid hemorrhages, and four new neurologic deficits after treatment. Visual fields were worse in 15 patients, unchanged in 22, and improved in eight. Conclusions: Whereas some features of headache and visual symptoms are similar for occipital AVMs and migraine, the two disorders are usually distinguishable. Visual field improvement can spontaneously occur in patients who have had loss secondary to an intracerebral bleed. Treatment with embolization or surgery, particularly with surgical excision of the AVM, can result in new or worse visual field loss.

NEUROLOGY 1996;46: 953-957.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. J. Kupersmith, A. Berenstein, P. K. Nelson, H. T. ApSimon, and A. Setton Visual symptoms with dural arteriovenous malformations draining into occipital veins Neurology, January 1, 1999; 52(1): 156 - 156. [Abstract] [Full Text]