Spinal arteriovenous malformation
DEFINITION
Spinal arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a rare, abnormal tangle of blood vessels on, in or near the spinal cord. Untreated, spinal AVM can permanently damage your spinal cord.
Oxygen-rich blood normally enters your spinal cord through arteries, which branch into smaller blood vessels (capillaries). Your spinal cord uses oxygen from the blood in your capillaries, and this oxygen-depleted blood then passes into veins that drain blood from your spinal cord to your heart and lungs. In a spinal AVM, your blood passes directly from your arteries to your veins, bypassing capillaries.
This disruption in blood flow causes cells in your spinal tissues to deteriorate or die. The arteries and veins in a spinal AVM can rupture, which results in bleeding in the spinal cord (hemorrhage). Sometimes, the AVM enlarges and compresses the spinal cord.
Spinal AVM can go undiagnosed unless you begin experiencing signs and symptoms. The condition can be treated with surgery to halt or possibly reverse some of the spinal damage.
CAUSES
The specific cause isn’t known. Spinal AVM was previously thought to be present from birth (congenital), but researchers are no longer sure that is the case.
SYMPTOMS
Most people with spinal AVM experience few if any significant symptoms.
When symptoms do occur, they vary depending on the severity and location of the AVM. These symptoms usually appear when people are in their 20s, although almost 20 percent of people diagnosed with spinal AVM are under the age of 16.
The onset of symptoms may be sudden or gradual. Symptoms typically include:
- Problems with walking or climbing stairs
- Numbness, tingling or sudden pain in your legs
- Weakness on one or both sides of your body
As the condition progresses, additional symptoms may include:
- Lack of feeling in the legs
- Difficulty urinating or moving your bowels
- Lower back pain
- Headache
- Stiff neck
- Sensitivity to light
When to see a doctor
Make an appointment with your doctor if you experience signs and symptoms of spinal arteriovenous malformation.
