Arteriovenous malformations are rare malformations comprised of both arterial and venous vessels. Though they vary in clinical presentation, many are found to have a pulsatile nature.
Arteriovenous malformations may have an aggressive growth pattern. Because blood is shunted directly from arterial vessels directly to veins without the intervening capillaries, these malformations can be dangerous. As a result, close supervision by a multidisciplinary specialty team — such as the one at our Vascular Lesion and Birthmark Center — is recommended.