Endovascular treatment of posterior fossa arteriovenous malformations.

Abstract Infratentorial arteriovenous malformations (AVM) are rare, representing only 7–15% of cerebral AVM. The concentration of eloquent neurological structures and the high rate of bleeding presentation of AVM in this location complicate the management of such lesions. New therapeutic options, especially in endovascular therapy, have fundamentally modified the treatment strategy and also the outcome of posterior fossa AVM. Between 1999 and 2013, baseline, clinical and angiographic data of cerebral AVM were prospectively collected. We analyzed data from patients treated for a posterior fossa AVM, focusing on risk factors for bleeding, and clinical and angiographic outcomes. Sixty-nine patients (mean age 34 years, male to female ratio 2:1) were consecutively treated for an infratentorial AVM. Fifty-seven presented with hemorrhage, six with focal neurologic deficits, and the remaining six patients were diagnosed incidentally. The Spetzler–Martin grade was