Does Arteriovenous Malformation Spread?

AVMs are thought to be due to abnormal development of blood vessels in utero and may be present since birth. Most AVMs are not inherited with the exception of a condition called H.H.T. An AVM is not a cancer, and does not spread to other parts of the body.

Does AVM get worse?

Over time, some AVMs get progressively larger as the amount of blood flow increases. In some cases, a weakened blood vessel may burst, spilling blood into the brain (hemorrhage) that can cause stroke and brain damage.

Can you live with arteriovenous malformation?

AVM affects around 1 in 2000 people. Although most people with the condition can lead relatively normal lives, they live with the risk that the tangles can burst and bleed into the brain at any time, causing a stroke. Around one in every hundred AVM patients suffers a stroke each year.