We've all heard doctors and radiologists use large terms to describe conditions we don't understand. But what do they all mean? To help give you better information, we thought we would go over one of the more serious conditions out there. The cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM) can be a serious one. To help you get a better understanding of it, we have gathered five things everyone should know about it below. If you suspect that you or someone you love might have an AVM, please consult a physician.
1. AVM – It is also called an AVM for arteriovenous malformation, which can be referred to as cerebral, or in the brain. Most AVM's fall into this category. It is an abnormal connection between the veins and the arteries in the brain.
2. When does it happen – This condition is most common in babies and usually dates back to the birth. It occurs in less than one percent of people but can also happen later in life. Those who have aneurysms can also get an AVM. However, diagnsing an AVM is very important because they can lead to more serious health problems.
3. What are the symptoms – There are many people who have an AVM who show no symptoms and the condition is found when looking for something else. However, according to the NIH, about half the patients who have an AVM can have a stroke caused by bleeding into the brain. Other symptoms include confusion, ear noise, headache, seizures, and others.
4. How do I know if I have one – There are several imaging tests that can be performed to locate and confirm an AVM. These include a CT scan or an MRI of the brain. Another test called the cerebral angiography is one of the best ways to spot one. It specializes in capturing the feeding arteries and draining veins that are effected ban an AVM.
5. Bleeding vs. non-bleeding – An AVM can be categorized as bleeding or non-bleeding, which is self explanatory. A bleeding AVM has to be attended to right away, while a non-bleeding one can be treated with lesser invasive techniques than open brain surgery, such as embolization or stereotactic radiosurgery where radiation is delivered to the AVM to shrink it.
This article was written by Ally Wagner, a student nurse and contributor to Nurse Practitioner Programs which helps those studying to become nurse practitioners.
*http://www.bestnursepractitionerprograms.com
*http://www.radiologyassistant.org/
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