scholarly journals Stereotactic radiosurgery for cerebral arteriovenous malformations: evaluation of long-term outcomes in a multicenter cohort

2017 ◽  
Vol 126 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert M. Starke ◽  
Hideyuki Kano ◽  
Dale Ding ◽  
John Y. K. Lee ◽  
David Mathieu ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVE In this multicenter study, the authors reviewed the results following Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) of cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), determined predictors of outcome, and assessed predictive value of commonly used grading scales based upon this large cohort with long-term follow-up. METHODS Data from a cohort of 2236 patients undergoing GKRS for cerebral AVMs were compiled from the International Gamma Knife Research Foundation. Favorable outcome was defined as AVM obliteration and no posttreatment hemorrhage or permanent symptomatic radiation-induced complications. Patient and AVM characteristics were assessed to determine predictors of outcome, and commonly used grading scales were assessed. RESULTS The mean maximum AVM diameter was 2.3 cm, with a mean volume of 4.3 cm3. A mean margin dose of 20.5 Gy was delivered. Mean follow-up was 7 years (range 1–20 years). Overall obliteration was 64.7%. Post-GRKS hemorrhage occurred in 165 patients (annual risk 1.1%). Radiation-induced imaging changes occurred in 29.2%; 9.7% were symptomatic, and 2.7% had permanent deficits. Favorable outcome was achieved in 60.3% of patients. Patients with prior nidal embolization (OR 2.1, p < 0.001), prior AVM hemorrhage (OR 1.3, p = 0.007), eloquent location (OR 1.3, p = 0.029), higher volume (OR 1.01, p < 0.001), lower margin dose (OR 0.9, p < 0.001), and more isocenters (OR 1.1, p = 0.011) were more likely to have unfavorable outcomes in multivariate analysis. The Spetzler-Martin grade and radiosurgery-based AVM score predicted outcome, but the Virginia Radiosurgery AVM Scale provided the best assessment. CONCLUSIONS GKRS for cerebral AVMs achieves obliteration and avoids permanent complications in the majority of patients. Patient, AVM, and treatment parameters can be used to predict long-term outcomes following radiosurgery.

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. iii26-iii26
Author(s):  
R M Emad Eldin ◽  
W A Reda ◽  
A M El-Shehaby ◽  
K Abdel Karim ◽  
A Nabeel ◽  
...  

Abstract BACKGROUND Large cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVM) pose a management dilemma because of the limited success of any single treatment modality by itself. Surgery alone is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Similarly, embolization alone has limited efficacy. Volume-staged gamma knife radiosurgery (VSGR) has been developed for the treatment of large AVMs, to increase the efficacy and improve safety of treatment of these lesions. The aim of the study was to assess the efficacy and safety of VSGR technique for the treatment of large cerebral AVMs. METHODS The study included patients treated by VSGR between May 2009 and July 2015. All cases had large AVMs (>10 cc). These were 29 patients. RESULTS Twenty-four patients completed radiographic follow up with 15 obliteration cases (62.5%). There was a total of 56 sessions performed. The mean AVM volume was 16 cc (10.1–29.3 cc). The mean prescription dose was 18 Gy (14–22 Gy). The mean follow up duration was 43 months (21–73 months). One patient died during follow up from unrelated cause. Two cases suffered haemorrhage during follow up. Symptomatic edema developed in 5 (17%) patients. The factors affecting obliteration were smaller total volume, higher dose/stage, non-deep location, compact AVM, AVM score less than 3, >18 Gy dose and <15 cc total volume. The factors affecting symptomatic edema were smaller total volume and shorter time between first and last sessions (p 0.012). T2 image changes were affected by SM grade 3 or more (p 0.013) and AVM score 3 or more (p 0.014). CONCLUSION VSGR provides an effective and safe treatment option for large cerebral AVMs. Smaller AVM volume is associated with higher obliteration rate.


2014 ◽  
Vol 121 (5) ◽  
pp. 1015-1021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun-Po Yen ◽  
Dale Ding ◽  
Ching-Hsiao Cheng ◽  
Robert M. Starke ◽  
Mark Shaffrey ◽  
...  

Object A relatively benign natural course of unruptured cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) has recently been recognized, and the decision to treat incidentally found AVMs has been questioned. This study aims to evaluate the long-term imaging and clinical outcomes of patients with asymptomatic, incidentally discovered AVMs treated with Gamma Knife surgery (GKS). Methods Thirty-one patients, each with an incidentally diagnosed AVM, underwent GKS between 1989 and 2009. The nidus volumes ranged from 0.3 to 11.1 cm3 (median 3.2 cm3). A margin dose between 15 and 26 Gy (median 20 Gy) was used to treat the AVMs. Four patients underwent repeat GKS for still-patent AVM residuals after the initial GKS procedure. Clinical follow-up ranged from 24 to 196 months, with a mean of 78 months (median 51 months) after the initial GKS. Results Following GKS, 19 patients (61.3%) had a total AVM obliteration on angiography. In 7 patients (22.6%), no flow voids were observed on MRI but angiographic confirmation was not available. In 5 patients (16.1%), the AVMs remained patent. A small nidus volume was significantly associated with increased AVM obliteration rate. Thirteen patients (41.9%) developed radiation-induced imaging changes: 11 were asymptomatic (35.5%), 1 had only headache (3.2%), and 1 developed seizure and neurological deficits (3.2%). Two patients each had 1 hemorrhage during the latency period (116.5 risk years), yielding an annual hemorrhage rate of 1.7% before AVM obliteration. Conclusions The decision to treat asymptomatic AVMs, and if so, which treatment approach to use, remain the subject of debate. GKS as a minimally invasive procedure appears to achieve a reasonable outcome with low procedure-related morbidity. In those patients with incidental AVMs, the benefits as well as the risks of radiosurgical intervention will only be fully defined with long-term follow-up.


2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 426-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun Po Yen ◽  
Stephen J. Monteith ◽  
James H. Nguyen ◽  
Jessica Rainey ◽  
David J. Schlesinger ◽  
...  

Object The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term imaging and clinical outcomes of intracranial arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in children treated with Gamma Knife surgery (GKS). Methods Between 1989 and 2007, 200 patients with AVMs who were 18 years of age or younger were treated at the University of Virginia Health System. Excluding 14 patients who had not reached 2-year follow-up, 186 patients comprised this study. Hemorrhage was the most common presenting symptom leading to the diagnosis of AVMs (71.5%). The mean nidus volume was 3.2 cm3 at the time of GKS, and a mean prescription dose of 21.9 Gy was used. Results After initial GKS, 49.5% of patients achieved total angiographic obliteration. Forty-one patients whose AVM nidi remained patent underwent additional GKS. The obliteration rate increased to 58.6% after a second or multiple GKS. Subtotal obliteration was achieved in 9 patients (4.8%). Forty-nine patients (26.3%) still had a patent residual nidus. In 19 patients (10.2%), obliteration was confirmed on MR imaging only. Ten patients had 17 hemorrhages during the follow-up period. The hemorrhage rate was 5.4% within 2 years after GKS and 0.8% between 2 and 5 years. Six patients developed neurological deficits along with the radiation-induced changes. Two patients developed asymptomatic meningiomas 10 and 12 years after GKS. After a mean clinical follow-up of 98 months, less than 4% of patients had difficulty attending school or developing a career. Conclusions Gamma Knife surgery offers a reasonable chance of obliteration of an AVM in pediatric patients. The incidence of symptomatic radiation-induced changes is relatively low; however, long-term clinical and imaging follow-up is required to identify delayed cyst formation and secondary tumors.


2017 ◽  
Vol 126 (3) ◽  
pp. 845-851 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin J. Ditty ◽  
Nidal B. Omar ◽  
Paul M. Foreman ◽  
Joseph H. Miller ◽  
Kimberly P. Kicielinski ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVE Patients with cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) commonly present with seizure. Seizure outcomes in patients treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) are poorly defined. A case series of patients with cerebral AVMs treated with SRS is presented to evaluate long-term seizure outcome. METHODS A retrospective review of the medical record was performed, identifying 204 consecutive patients with AVMs treated with SRS between January 1991 and June 2012. Clinical and radiographic data were evaluated. Seizure outcome was measured using the Engel Epilepsy Surgery Outcome Scale. Mean duration of follow-up was 37.1 months (SD 38.3 months) with a minimum follow-up period of 1 month. RESULTS Of the 204 patients with cerebral AVMs treated with SRS, 78 patients (38.2%) presented with seizures and 49 of those patients were treated with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Following SRS, 63 (80.8%) of the 78 patients who had had seizures prior to SRS were seizure-free at a mean follow-up time of 37.2 months (SD 41.3 months). Of the 49 patients who had been treated with AEDs, 17 were still taking AEDs at last follow-up. Of the 126 patients who did not present with seizures prior to treatment with SRS, only 5 patients (4.0%) had seizures in the post-SRS period. There was no significant correlation between post-SRS seizure status and patient demographic features, comorbidities, AVM characteristics, history of operative intervention, pre- or posttreatment hemorrhage, or radiographic degree of AVM resolution. CONCLUSIONS Stereotactic radiosurgery for treatment of cerebral AVMs is effective at providing long-term control of seizures. A substantial number of patients who were treated with SRS were not only seizure free at their last follow-up, but had been successfully weaned from antiepileptic medications.


2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 222-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shunya Hanakita ◽  
Tomoyuki Koga ◽  
Masahiro Shin ◽  
Hiroshi Igaki ◽  
Nobuhito Saito

OBJECT Although stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) has been accepted as a therapeutic option for arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in children and adolescents, substantial data are still lacking regarding the outcomes of SRS for AVMs in this age group, especially long-term complications. This study aimed to clarify the long-term outcomes of SRS for the treatment of AVM in pediatric patients aged ≤ 18 years. METHODS Outcomes of 116 patients who were aged 4–18 years when they underwent SRS between 1990 and 2009 at the study institute were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS The median follow-up period after SRS was 100 months, with 6 patients followed up for more than 20 years. Actuarial obliteration rates at 3 and 5 years after SRS were 68% and 88%, respectively. Five hemorrhages occurred in 851 patient-years of follow-up. The annual bleeding rate after SRS before obliteration was calculated as 1.3%, which decreased to 0.2% after obliteration. Shorter maximum nidus diameter (p = 0.02) and higher margin dose (p = 0.03) were associated with a higher obliteration rate. Ten patients experienced adverse events after SRS. Of them, 4 patients presented with delayed complications years after SRS (range 9–20 years after SRS). CONCLUSIONS SRS can reduce the risk of hemorrhage in pediatric and adolescent AVMs, with an acceptable risk of complications in the long term. However, adverse events such as expanding hematoma and radiation necrosis that can occur after substantial follow-up should be taken into account at the time that treatment decisions are made and informed consent is obtained.


2020 ◽  
Vol 132 (1) ◽  
pp. 114-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert M. Starke ◽  
David J. McCarthy ◽  
Ching-Jen Chen ◽  
Hideyuki Kano ◽  
Brendan McShane ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVEIn this multicenter study, the authors reviewed the results obtained in patients who underwent Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) for dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVFs) and determined predictors of outcome.METHODSData from a cohort of 114 patients who underwent GKRS for cerebral dAVFs were compiled from the International Gamma Knife Research Foundation. Favorable outcome was defined as dAVF obliteration and no posttreatment hemorrhage or permanent symptomatic radiation-induced complications. Patient and dAVF characteristics were assessed to determine predictors of outcome in a multivariate logistic regression analysis; dAVF-free obliteration was calculated in a competing-risk survival analysis; and Youden indices were used to determine optimal radiosurgical dose.RESULTSA mean margin dose of 21.8 Gy was delivered. The mean follow-up duration was 4 years (range 0.5–18 years). The overall obliteration rate was 68.4%. The postradiosurgery actuarial rates of obliteration at 3, 5, 7, and 10 years were 41.3%, 61.1%, 70.1%, and 82.0%, respectively. Post-GRKS hemorrhage occurred in 4 patients (annual risk of 0.9%). Radiation-induced imaging changes occurred in 10.4% of patients; 5.2% were symptomatic, and 3.5% had permanent deficits. Favorable outcome was achieved in 63.2% of patients. Patients with middle fossa and tentorial dAVFs (OR 2.4, p = 0.048) and those receiving a margin dose greater than 23 Gy (OR 2.6, p = 0.030) were less likely to achieve a favorable outcome. Commonly used grading scales (e.g., Borden and Cognard) were not predictive of outcome. Female sex (OR 1.7, p = 0.03), absent venous ectasia (OR 3.4, p < 0.001), and cavernous carotid location (OR 2.1, p = 0.019) were predictors of GKRS-induced dAVF obliteration.CONCLUSIONSGKRS for cerebral dAVFs achieved obliteration and avoided permanent complications in the majority of patients. Those with cavernous carotid location and no venous ectasia were more likely to have fistula obliteration following radiosurgery. Commonly used grading scales were not reliable predictors of outcome following radiosurgery.


2017 ◽  
Vol 34 (03) ◽  
pp. 288-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sumera Ali ◽  
Sally Mitchell

AbstractIt is very important that patients seeking sclerotherapy for the treatment of venous malformations are aware of the expected course of the therapy. They should be thoroughly counseled about the complications, the need for multiple sessions of therapy, and also about the expected clinical outcome. The aim of this review is to discuss the long-term outcomes of sclerotherapy for the treatment of venous malformation. Many studies have discussed their individual center's experiences and short-midterm results, but there is a relative paucity of data on long-term outcomes. We have reviewed the literature and also shared our experience of a large cohort of patients (n = 116) with a relatively longer follow-up period of more than 1 year. Venous malformations are very complex lesions and their treatment is quite variable depending on its extent and complexity. As a result, outcome studies vary considerably in the choice of sclerosant, study methodology, outcome assessment (clinical vs. imaging), and grading scales. This review also highlights this extreme heterogeneity in the literature of the sclerotherapy outcome and summarizes a few national and international studies for comparison.


2017 ◽  
Vol 126 (4) ◽  
pp. 1056-1063 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes Schramm ◽  
Karl Schaller ◽  
Jonas Esche ◽  
Azize Boström

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to review the outcomes after microsurgical resection of cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) from a consecutive single-surgeon series. Clinical and imaging data were analyzed to address the following questions concerning AVM treatment in the post-ARUBA (A Randomized Trial of Unruptured Brain Arteriovenous Malformations) era. 1) Are the patients who present with unruptured or ruptured AVMs doing better at long-term follow-up? 2) Is the differentiation between Ponce Class A (Spetzler-Martin Grade I and II) patients versus Ponce Class B and C patients (Spetzler-Martin Grade III and IV) meaningful and applicable to surgical practice? 3) How did the ARUBA-eligible patients of this surgical series compare with the results reported in ARUBA? METHODS Two hundred eighty-eight patients with cerebral AVMs underwent microsurgical resection between 1983 and 2012 performed by the same surgeon (J.S.). This is a prospective case collection study that represents a consecutive series. The results are based on prospectively collected, early-outcome data that were supplemented by retrospectively collected, follow-up data for 94% of those cases. The analyzed data included the initial presentation, Spetzler-Martin grade, obliteration rates, surgical and neurological complications, and frequency of pretreatment with embolization or radiosurgery. The total cohort was compared using “small-AVM,” Spetzler-Martin Grade I and II, and ARUBA-eligible AVM subgroups. RESULTS The initial presentation was hemorrhage in 50.0% and seizures in 43.1% of patients. The series included 53 Spetzler-Martin Grade I (18.4%), 114 Spetzler-Martin Grade II (39.6%), 90 Spetzler-Martin Grade III (31.3%), 28 Spetzler-Martin Grade IV (9.7%), and 3 Spetzler-Martin Grade V (1.0%) AVMs. There were 144 unruptured and 104 ARUBA-eligible cases. Preembolization was used in 39 cases (13.5%). The occlusion rates for the total series and small AVM subgroup were 99% and 98.7%, respectively. The mean follow-up duration was 64 months. Early neurological deterioration was seen in 39.2% of patients, of which 12.2% had permanent and 5.6% had permanent significant deficits, and the mortality rate was 1.7% (n = 5). Outcome was better for patients with AVMs smaller than 3 cm (permanent deficit in 7.8% and permanent significant deficit in 3.2% of patients) and Ponce Class A status (permanent deficit in 7.8% and significant deficit in 3.2% of patients). Unruptured AVMs showed slightly higher new deficit rates (but 0 instances of mortality) among all cases, and in the small AVM and Ponce Class A subgroups. Unruptured Spetzler-Martin Grade I and II lesions had the best outcome (1.8% permanent significant deficit), and ARUBA-eligible Spetzler-Martin Grade I and II lesions had a slightly higher rate of permanent significant deficits (3.2%). CONCLUSIONS Microsurgery has a very high cure rate. Focusing microsurgical AVM resection on unruptured lesions smaller than 3 cm or on Spetzler-Martin Grade I and II lesions is a good strategy for minimizing long-term morbidity. Well-selected microsurgical cases lead to better outcomes than with multimodal interventions, as in the ARUBA treatment arm, or conservative treatment alone. Long-term prospective data collection is valuable.


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