# Long-Term Outcomes of Pediatric Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformations: A Ten-Year Single-Center Retrospective Study

## TL;DR

This study examines long-term outcomes of two treatments for brain AVMs in children over ten years, finding both surgery and radiosurgery to be effective.

## Contribution

The study provides a single-center retrospective analysis of pediatric AVM treatment outcomes over a decade.

## Key findings

- Surgical resection achieved complete obliteration in all 19 patients with good outcomes.
- SRS resulted in complete obliteration in 69.2% of patients with no radiosurgery-related complications.
- Both surgical resection and SRS showed satisfactory outcomes for pediatric AVM treatment.

## Abstract

Background and Objectives: Pediatric cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to assess the long-term outcomes of surgical excision and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) of cerebral AVMs in pediatric patients. Materials and Methods: A single-center retrospective analysis was conducted using data obtained from a single medical center between January 2012 and July 2022. The Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at admission and discharge and the Spetzler–Martin (SM) scores were analyzed. Results: Among 45 patients (mean age 11.8 years), 19 patients (42.2%) received surgical resection, with good outcomes (mRS 0–2) in 16 patients and complete obliteration in all patients. In total, 26 patients (57.8%) were managed with SRS. After 36.3 months on average, complete obliteration in 19 of 26 patients (69.2%) was confirmed. Among the 7 SRS patients without complete obliteration, 6 had residual cerebral AVMs at the last follow-up, and 1 had recurrence. All patients receiving SRS had favorable outcomes (mRS 0–1) and no apparent radiosurgery-related complications. Conclusions: In our study, the surgical resection or SRS was selected based on individual patient conditions, and the overall outcomes were satisfactory. Both surgical resection and SRS proved to be effective treatment options. Microsurgical resection demonstrated a high rate of obliteration and remains a favorable therapeutic choice with acceptable risks for pediatric AVMs.