What is the arteriovenous malformation of the cerebral vessels and the code of the disease according to ICD-10

1 The main symptoms of the disease

Most often this disease does not have a strong symptomatology. It can go unnoticed until the patient finds it during CT scan or MRI.Pathology can manifest itself as headaches or disability, which a person regards as fatigue. At the same time the disease progresses, and the missed moment can lead to negative consequences, up to a lethal outcome.

If the AVM progresses, then such symptoms can be seen:

• decreases intelligence;
• impaired coordination of movements, there is a staggering gait;
• speech may be broken;
• lost sensitivity to smells, tastes, etc.;
• can develop strabismus.

If a patient exhibits this symptomatology, this means that the AVM has already reached a significant size, and at the same time it is located in one of the functionally significant areas of the brain. In this case, it is necessary to urgently carry out diagnostic and surgical removal of blood vessels.

In the event that the operation was not performed on time, there is a high risk of hemorrhage. This may indicate a sharp attack of headache, sudden vomiting or loss of consciousness.

2 Diagnostic measures

The main methods for diagnosing arteriovenous malformation of the brain are angiography and dopplerography. These procedures allow to determine the degree of operability of malformation. For this, the following characteristics of the disease must necessarily be identified:

• size of AVM;
• localization;
• pattern of drainage.

Malformation up to 3 cm in size, localized outside the functionally significant zone, without deep drainage veins is the most favorable for conducting the operation with minimal risk. If arterio-venous malformation is larger than 6 cm and placed within a functionally significant area, then there is a risk of disability and death after surgery. The presence of deep draining veins can lead to complications in the course of surgical intervention.

The most severe variant of the disease course is the presence of several malformations located in different areas of the brain. When performing surgical removal of blood vessels in this case, the risk of traumatization of vital organs significantly increases, which can lead to irreversible processes, disability and death. When conducting an operation, it is very important to measure the risk of interference with the possibilities of conducting therapy without it.

3 Methods of treatment of pathology

Treatment of AVM can be carried out both by surgical intervention and by methods of conservative treatment.

Surgical instrument or gamma-knife can be used during the operation. In this case, the doctor completely removes the malformation, without leaving even a small fragment. Otherwise, the risk of hemorrhage increases.

Surgical intervention is performed in those cases when the malformation reaches a size of more than 3 cm. If the AVM does not reach this size, the therapy can be performed by the endovascular method. Thus the doctor with the help of a catheter covers the lumen of malformation through the vessel. In addition, this method can be used if during the operative intervention the AVM has not been removed completely and it is necessary to extract its residues.

Unfortunately, there are no methods of preventing this disease, since AVM is formed even during intrauterine development and the first months of life. However, it is very important to carry out the necessary preventive actions after the ailment was diagnosed. This will help to avoid hemorrhages and other complications. At this stage, it is necessary to monitor the patient's physical activity, as well as regularly measure blood pressure. Proper prevention can significantly improve the quality of life and eliminate the risk of recurrence of the disease.