Spinal arteriovenous malformations

Pathologies that affect the spinal cord are diverse. In addition to trauma, common etiologies of myelopathy include autoimmune, infectious, neoplastic, vascular, and hereditary-degenerative diseases. Physicians should be aware of the possibility of a spinal arteriovenous malformation (sAVMs) when facing a challenging case. Performing an adequate clinical history and neurological examination is the key element in the proper approach to these pathologies. However, a better determination of the problem can be obtained with the help of neuroimaging studies. Given the rare nature of sAVMs, the purpose of this article is to review the spinal vascular anatomy, the pathogenesis and pathology of arteriovenous malformation, discuss key points about their classification, and summarize the imaging findings and treatment approaches available.