A Step-by-Step Practical Approach to Imaging Diagnosis and Interventional Radiologic Therapy in Vascular Malformations

Within vascular anomalies, vascular malformations are those present at birth that grow with the patient and exhibit abnormal dilated vascular channels lined by mature endothelium. Vascular tumors, the other group of vascular anomalies, demonstrate endothelial hypercellularity. Vascular malformations are further divided into low-flow varieties (capillary, venous, and lymphatic malformations) and high-flow varieties (arteriovenous malformation and fistula). All malformations exhibit a predictable group of clinical patterns that vary in severity and rate of progression. The interventional radiologist must incorporate this clinical data with characteristic ultrasound and magnetic resonance findings to arrive at a diagnosis. One must then decide in a multidisciplinary fashion, based on objective clinical criteria and image-based morphology, if the patent is a candidate for intervention. Sclerotherapy is a technique used to treat vascular malformations whereby an endothelial-cidal agent is introduced into the endoluminal compartment to initiate vascular closure. The high flow rate of an arteriovenous malformation requires the incorporation of superselective transarterial, direct, and transvenous access with flow reduction techniques to deliver adequate dose of sclerosant and embolic to the nidus. Satisfactory outcomes are seen in over half of all malformations patients. Similar treatment-related complications are seen between malformations but are lowest in lymphatic and highest in arteriovenous malformations