Project description:Cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are the most common vascular malformations worldwide and the leading cause of hemorrhagic strokes that result in crippling neurological deficits. Here, using newly generated mouse model, we discovered that genome-wide ocuppancy of H4K8ac and H3K27me3 decreased in mouse cerebral AVMs.
Project description:BACKGROUND:Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations are abnormal direct connections between the pulmonary artery and pulmonary vein which result in a right-to-left shunt. They are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality mainly from the effects of paradoxical emboli. Potential complications include stroke, cerebral abscess, pulmonary haemorrhage and hypoxaemia. Embolisation is an endovascular intervention based on the occlusion of the feeding arteries the pulmonary arteriovenous malformations thus eliminating the abnormal right-to-left-shunting. This is an update of a previously published review. OBJECTIVES:To determine the efficacy and safety of embolisation in patients with pulmonary arteriovenous malformations including a comparison with surgical resection and different embolisation devices. SEARCH METHODS:We searched the Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Disorders Group's Trials Register; date of last search: 10 April 2017.We also searched the following databases: the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry; ClinicalTrials.gov; International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number Register; International Clinical Trials Registry Platform Search Portal (last searched 27 August 2017). to be updatedWe checked cross-references and searched references from review articles. SELECTION CRITERIA:Trials in which individuals with pulmonary arteriovenous malformations were randomly allocated to embolisation compared to no treatment, surgical resection or embolisation using a different embolisation device. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS:Studies identified for potential inclusion were independently assessed for eligibility by two authors, with excluded studies further checked by a third author. No trials were identified for inclusion in the review and hence no analysis was performed. MAIN RESULTS:There were no randomised controlled trials included in the review; one ongoing trial has been identified which may be eligible for inclusion in the future. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS:There is no evidence from randomised controlled trials for embolisation of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations. However, randomised controlled trials are not always feasible on ethical grounds. Accumulated data from observational studies suggest that embolisation is a safe procedure which reduces morbidity and mortality. A standardised approach to reporting with long-term follow-up through registry studies can help to strengthen the evidence for embolisation in the absence of randomised controlled trials.
Project description:Brain arteriovenous malformations (AVM) are a complex and challenging subset of neurosurgical disease, the optimal treatment of which is nuanced and dependent on numerous patient- and disease-specific factors. Clinical features that may predispose toward resection as front-line treatment include lower grade lesions, particularly those in non-eloquent locations, as well as active pregnancy. In all AVM resections, minimization of risk to exposed healthy brain adjacent to the lesion is a key surgical principle. In this illustrative case report, we discuss the management of a young woman who presented with a new diagnosis of AVM following an intracranial hemorrhage, at which time she was also identified as newly pregnant. Resection via the contralateral transfalcine approach with preoperative embolization was recommended, the intraoperative and postoperative courses proceeded uneventfully, and the patient was cured of her AVM and went on to successfully deliver twins. Recording and description of procedure are shown in Video Case Report.
Project description:Background and purposeDo children have an increased risk for brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM) recurrence compared with adults and does this risk vary depending on initial presentation with AVM rupture?MethodsWe retrospectively studied 115 patients initially presenting with brain AVM under age 25 years who underwent complete surgical resection of the AVM as documented by digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and had delayed follow-up DSA to evaluate for AVM recurrence after apparent initial cure.ResultsThe mean time from baseline DSA to follow-up DSA was 2.3 years, ranging from 0 to 15 years. Twelve patients (10.4% of the 115 patient cohort and 16.7% of 72 patients with hemorrhage at initial presentation) demonstrated AVM recurrence on follow-up DSA. All patients with recurrence initially presented with intracranial hemorrhage, and intracranial hemorrhage was a significant predictor of recurrence (log rank P=0.037). Among patients with initial hemorrhage, the 5-year recurrence rate was 17.8% (95% CI, 8.3%-35.7%). All recurrences occurred in patients who were children at the time of their initial presentation; the oldest was 15 years of age at the time of initial AVM surgery. The 5-year recurrence rate for children (0-18 years of age) with an initial presentation of hemorrhage was 21.4% (95% CI, 10.1%-41.9%). Using Cox regression, we found the risk of AVM recurrence decreased by 14% per each year increase in age at the time of initial surgical resection (hazard ratio=0.86 [95% CI, 0.75-0.99]; P=0.031).ConclusionsThere is a high rate of recurrence of apparently cured brain AVMs in children who initially present with AVM rupture. Imaging follow-up is warranted to prevent re-rupture.
Project description:We present a case of recurrent strokes in a patient with absent left internal carotid artery (ICA) and pulmonary arteriovenous malformation. Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) are abnormal communications between pulmonary artery and pulmonary vein, cause extracardiac right to left shunting of blood and are known to significantly increase the risk of stroke primarily due to paradoxical embolization. They are often hereditary and are commonly associated with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasias (HHT). Delayed bubbles seen in the left ventricle (after 3 cardiac cycles) on transthoracic echocardiogram with bubble study is often the first clue to the presence of PAVMs. CT scan of the chest can confirm the diagnosis. Percutaneous embolotherapy is the treatment of choice with reduction in stroke risk post embolization.
Project description:RASA1-related disorders are vascular malformation syndromes characterized by hereditary capillary malformations (CM) with or without arteriovenous malformations (AVM), arteriovenous fistulas (AVF), or Parkes Weber syndrome. The number of cases reported is relatively small; and while the main clinical features are CMs and AVMs/AVFs, the broader phenotypic spectrum caused by variants in the RASA1 gene is still being defined. Here, we report the clinical and molecular findings in 69 unrelated cases with a RASA1 variant identified at ARUP Laboratories. Sanger sequencing and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification were primarily used to evaluate RASA1. Several atypical cases were evaluated using next-generation sequencing (NGS) and array-comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH). Sixty individuals had a deleterious RASA1 variant of which 29 were novel. Nine individuals had a variant of uncertain significance. Five large RASA1 deletions were detected, giving an overall deletion/duplication rate of 8.3% (5/60) among positive cases. Most (75.4%) individuals with a RASA1 variant had CMs, and 44.9% had an AVM/AVF. Clinical findings in several cases expand the RASA1 phenotype. Our data suggest that screening for large RASA1 deletions and duplications in this disorder is important and suggest that NGS multi-gene panel testing is beneficial for the molecular diagnosis of cases with complex vascular phenotypes.
Project description:Pathogenic variants in RASA1 are typically associated with a clinical condition called "capillary malformation-arteriovenous malformation" (CM-AVM) syndrome, an autosomal dominant genetic disease characterized by a broad phenotypic variability, even within families. In CM-AVM syndrome, multifocal capillary and arteriovenous malformations are mainly localized in the central nervous system, spine and skin. Although CM-AVM syndrome has been widely described in the literature, only 21 cases with prenatal onset of clinical features have been reported thus far. Here, we report four pediatric cases of molecularly confirmed CM-AVM syndrome which manifested during the prenatal period. Polyhydramnios, non-immune hydrops fetalis and chylothorax are only a few possible aspects of this condition, but a correct interpretation of these prenatal signs is essential due to the possible fatal consequences of unrecognized encephalic and thoracoabdominal deep vascular malformations in newborns and in family members carrying the same RASA1 variant.
Project description:A pulmonary arteriovenous malformation (PAVM) is caused by abnormal communications between the pulmonary arteries and veins. In this study, a 64-year old woman presented with a large PAVM in the central upper lobe of the right lung. As feeding vessels were large and short, the patient was scheduled for resection therapy. By clamping the right main pulmonary artery, the blood flow into the PAVM was controlled and lobectomy was performed safely. Although advances in interventional radiology have led to the introduction of obliterative techniques, surgical resection is still an effective first option for patients with a large, centrally located PAVM.