Pediatric cerebral arteriovenous malformations

Pial arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) of the brain are vascular abnormalities located in the subpial space that consist of direct communications from artery to vein via intervening nidus. AVMs are the most common intracranial pathology and frequent cause of intracranial hemorrhage in children. Moreover, the epidemiology and clinical findings particular to children with AVMs can be ascribed to the distinct angioarchitecture of pediatric AVMs. However, the natural history and treatment of pediatric AVMs is relatively unknown. In this article, we review current knowledge of pediatric pial AVMs.