Efficacy and Safety of Combined Endovascular Embolization and Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Patients with Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Whether the use of endovascular embolization could provide additional benefits in patients treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for intracranial arteriovenous malformations (IAVMs) remains controversial. The current meta-analysis was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of SRS with and without prior endovascular embolization in patients with IAVMs. The electronic databases of PubMed, EmBase, and Cochrane Library were systematically searched for eligible studies published from inception to August 12, 2020. The pooled results for obliteration rate, rehemorrhage rate, and permanent neurological deficits were calculated by odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using the random-effects model. The sensitivity analysis, subgroup analysis, and publication bias for investigated outcomes were also evaluated. Nineteen studies (two prospective and 17 retrospective studies) involving a total of 3,454 patients with IAVMs were selected for the final meta-analysis. We noted that prior embolization and SRS were associated with a lower obliteration rate compared with SRS alone (OR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.44–0.74; P < 0.001). However, prior embolization and SRS were not associated with the risk of rehemorrhage (OR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.81–1.34; P = 0.729) and permanent neurological deficits (OR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.48–1.33; P = 0.385) compared with SRS alone. The sensitivity analysis suggested that prior embolization might reduce the risk of permanent neurological deficits in patients with IAVMs treated with SRS. The treatment effects of prior embolization in patients with IAVMs could be affected by nidus volume, margin dose, intervention, and follow-up duration. This study found that prior embolization was associated with a reduced risk of obliteration in patients with IAVMs treated with SRS. Moreover, prior embolization might reduce the risk of permanent neurological deficits in patients with IAVMs.