Elsevier

Pathology

Volume 38, Issue 1, February 2006, Pages 28-32
Pathology

Tissue reactions induced by different embolising agents in cerebral arteriovenous malformations: a histopathological follow-up

https://doi.org/10.1080/00313020500455795Get rights and content

Summary

Aims

Comparative histopathological analysis was performed in 47 incompletely embolised and resected cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs).

Methods

Thirty-three AVMs were embolised with n-butyl- cyanoacrylate (NBCA), four with iso-butyl-cyanoacrylate (IBCA), seven with polyvinyl alcohol particles (PVA), one with a fibrin mixture, one with silicon pellets, and one with microcatheter balloons. Maximum exposure time (MET) of the embolising agent (interval between embolisation and surgery) ranged from <24 hours to 80 months. All AVMs were investigated regarding angionecrosis, angiofibrosis, acute inflammation, chronic inflammation, foreign-body reactions, vascular calcification, blood admixture to embolis- ing cast, and capillary recanalisation within the AVMs. These parameters were correlated with MET, comparing different embolising agents, age, and sex.

Results

A typical sequence of events depending on MET is observed in all embolised AVMs: acute inflammation with mural angionecrosis is soon replaced by prominent chronic granulomatous vasculitis, which remains stable and is detectable for a very long time, even in AVMs with a MET of more than 6 years.

Conclusion

Capillary recanalisation is always present in incompletely embolised AVMs, detectable after 3 months of MET, irrespective of the embolising agent used. Age and sex does not influence pattern and time course of tissue lesions and recanalisation in incompletely embolised AVMs.

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