Spontaneous obliteration highlights the dynamic nature of cerebral arteriovenous malformations: A case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND: Cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are dynamic lesions and have been documented to arise de novo, enlarge, regress, obliterate, and even recur. Spontaneous obliteration of AVM is a rare and poorly understood phenomenon. CASE DESCRIPTION: We present a case of spontaneous obliteration of AVM in a 60-year-old gentleman who presented with intraparenchymal hemorrhage from a ruptured right parieto-occipital AVM. Angiography performed before gamma knife surgery 4 months after his initial presentation demonstrated complete absence of AVM. CONCLUSION: In our center's 20-year experience of treatment of cerebral AVMs (approximately 600 cases), this is the only case that has been aborted due to spontaneous obliteration leading us to infer that the incidence of spontaneous AVM obliteration is <1%. Spontaneous obliteration of AVM is a rare but well-established phenomenon that bears testimony to the dynamics of this vascular disorder.