Additionally or alternatively, flow-dependent or other contrast-free magnetic resonance imaging techniques can be used to determine the location and other properties of the vasculature.AVMs can occur in various parts of the body:

brain (cerebral AV malformation)
spleen
lung
kidney
spinal cord
liver
intercostal space
iris
spermatic cord
extremities – arm, shoulder, etc.AVMs may occur in isolation or as a part of another disease (for example, Von Hippel-Lindau disease or hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia).AVMs have been shown to be associated with aortic stenosis.Bleeding from an AVM can be relatively mild or devastating. It can cause severe and less often fatal strokes. If a cerebral AVM is detected before a stroke occurs, usually the arteries feeding blood into the nidus can be closed off to avert the danger. However, interventional therapy may also be relatively risky. Treatment
Treatment for brain AVMs can be symptomatic, and patients should be followed by a neurologist for any seizures, headaches, or focal neurologic deficits. AVM-specific treatment may also involve endovascular embolization, neurosurgery or radiosurgery. Embolization, that is, cutting off the blood supply to the AVM with coils, particles, acrylates, or polymers introduced by a radiographically guided catheter, may be used in addition to neurosurgery or radiosurgery, but is rarely successful in isolation except in smaller AVMs. Gamma knife may also be used.Treatment of lung AVMs is typically performed with endovascular embolization alone, which is considered the standard of care. Epidemiology
The estimated detection rate of AVM in the US general population is 1.4/100,000 per year. This is approximately one fifth to one seventh the incidence of intracranial aneurysms.
Cultural Depictions
In the HBO series Six Feet Under (TV series), main character Nate Fisher discovers he has an AVM after being in a car accident and getting a precautionary cat scan at the hospital during Season 1. His AVM becomes a key focus during Season 2 and again in Season 5. Research
Despite many years of research, the central question of whether to treat AVMs has not been answered. All treatments, whether involving surgery, radiation, or drugs, have risks and side-effects. Therefore, it might be better in some cases to avoid treatment altogether and simply accept a small risk of coming to harm from the AVM itself. This question is currently being addressed in clinical trials. See also
Foix–Alajouanine syndrome
Haemangioma
Klippel–Trénaunay syndrome
Parkes Weber syndrome


== References ==