Unruptured arteriovenous malformation in a patient presenting with obstructive hydrocephalus

Abstract

The authors report on a patient harboring an unruptured cortical arteriovenous malformation (AVM), who had presented with obstructive hydrocephalus due to compression of the cerebral aqueduct by a large venous varix. Although patients with ruptured AVMs are known to either present with or later suffer from obstructive hydrocephalus, those with unruptured AVMs who present in this manner are quite rare. Moreover, hydrocephalus caused by a venous varix draining an AVM, to our knowledge, has never been previously reported in the literature. This report serves to illustrate two primary points, namely, that tortuous venous varices draining AVMs can result in obstructive hydrocephalus and that this unusual circumstance can be fostered in the setting of venous outflow obstruction.