Abnormal Arteriovenous Communications: Peripheral and Intracardiac; Acquired and Congenital.

Abstract

In 1937 a monograph by Emile Holman, Arteriovenous Aneurysm: Abnormal Communications between the Arterial and Venous Circulations , was awarded the Samuel D. Gross prize by the Philadelphia Academy of Surgery. This current volume is an expanded revision. The first two thirds of the book is introduced by an historical review, followed by a summary of the author's extensive surgical experience with clinical arteriovenous fistulas in the human, as well as experimentally-produced fistulas in the dog. The world's literature and surgical experience in dealing with peripheral arteriovenous fistulas are summarized. Emphasis is placed on the tendency for an arteriovenous fistula to grow. When the proximal artery is constricted, the proclivity of blood flow to seek a low resistance area such as an arteriovenous fistula is beautifully illustrated by the increase in size of the distal artery from retrograde flow to the fistula through collateral vessels. Numerous clinical and experimental cases of