Background: The management cerebral AVMs is not always clear - especially if located in eloquent areas - and could range between observation and microsurgical resection. Surgery is highly demanding and can be associated with post-operative neurological sequelae. The present study aims to analyze how natural history and clinical-radiological features impact the clinical and cognitive outcome after surgery for cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) located in language areas. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on a continuous series of 311 patients operated on for cerebral AVMs at a single institution by a single neurosurgeon between 1990 and 2020. Speech areas were classified in 4 regions: frontal operculum, inferior parietal lobule, superior temporal gyrus, and sylvian-insular. Post-operative deficits were classified as transient and permanent; the latter were further divided into mild (modified Rankin score ≤2) and significant (mRS ≥ 3). A post-operative neuropsychological evaluation was conducted at follow-up to assess long-term cognitive deficits. Results: A total of 63 patients were considered eligible; the AVM was located in the frontal operculum in 20 cases, in the inferior parietal lobule in 8 cases, in the superior temporal gyrus in 27 cases and in the sylvian-insular region in 8 cases. The ruptured and unruptured AVMs ratio was 1:1.1. Patients with bleeding AVMs showed preexisting neurological deficit as a determining factor for post-operative morbidity, regardless of the AVM volume. Post-operative deficits in unruptured AVMs were mostly transient (63.6 %); a significant deficit was present in 1 case with AVM volume >20 cm3. Neuropsychological deficits were higher in ruptured and in large volumes (>20 cm3) AVMs cases. Conclusions: Surgical management of cerebral AVMs in speech areas is safe, especially for smaller AVMs (<20 cm3). In ruptured AVMs the clinical outcome is influenced mostly by the hemorrhage, whereas unruptured AVMs showed mild neurological sequelae.
Clinical and cognitive outcome after surgical resection of cerebral AVMs in language areas
Meneghelli, Pietro
;Pasqualin, Alberto;Santini, Barbara;Tommasi, Nicola;Nunes, Sonia;Musumeci, Angelo;Tsatsaris, Nicola;Zampieri, Piergiuseppe;Sala, Francesco
2025-01-01
Abstract
Background: The management cerebral AVMs is not always clear - especially if located in eloquent areas - and could range between observation and microsurgical resection. Surgery is highly demanding and can be associated with post-operative neurological sequelae. The present study aims to analyze how natural history and clinical-radiological features impact the clinical and cognitive outcome after surgery for cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) located in language areas. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on a continuous series of 311 patients operated on for cerebral AVMs at a single institution by a single neurosurgeon between 1990 and 2020. Speech areas were classified in 4 regions: frontal operculum, inferior parietal lobule, superior temporal gyrus, and sylvian-insular. Post-operative deficits were classified as transient and permanent; the latter were further divided into mild (modified Rankin score ≤2) and significant (mRS ≥ 3). A post-operative neuropsychological evaluation was conducted at follow-up to assess long-term cognitive deficits. Results: A total of 63 patients were considered eligible; the AVM was located in the frontal operculum in 20 cases, in the inferior parietal lobule in 8 cases, in the superior temporal gyrus in 27 cases and in the sylvian-insular region in 8 cases. The ruptured and unruptured AVMs ratio was 1:1.1. Patients with bleeding AVMs showed preexisting neurological deficit as a determining factor for post-operative morbidity, regardless of the AVM volume. Post-operative deficits in unruptured AVMs were mostly transient (63.6 %); a significant deficit was present in 1 case with AVM volume >20 cm3. Neuropsychological deficits were higher in ruptured and in large volumes (>20 cm3) AVMs cases. Conclusions: Surgical management of cerebral AVMs in speech areas is safe, especially for smaller AVMs (<20 cm3). In ruptured AVMs the clinical outcome is influenced mostly by the hemorrhage, whereas unruptured AVMs showed mild neurological sequelae.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.