High flow arteriovenous malformation in a young adult: case report

Abstract

Introduction. Arteriovenous malformations are relative rare and infrequent injuries. Their main characteristic is an abnormal increase in the number of blood vessels as a result of defective vascular development. They represent a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for the treating physician. Their incidence in the general population is around 1.5%. Some therapeutic options include selective embolization, surgical resection, or both. The purpose of this article is to report a case of an infrequent pathology and to perform a literature review on the topic to shed light on its diagnosis. Case report. The case involves a young adult patient who inquired about the presence of a mass in the right buttock with six years of evolution. It was erroneously diagnosed as a lipoma, as a result of which the patient was taken to surgery without performing preliminary diagnostic images. During surgery, the patient went into hypovolemic shock. Afterwards, the mass was documented as a profound arteriovenous malformation. Discussion. Such malformations are rarely found in the lower limbs, as in this case. These injuries may be clinically diagnosed, but knowledge or suspicion on the existence of this entity is required, because such injuries might not be clinically visible, which implies that they may go unnoticed or be erroneously diagnosed. Conclusion. Even though it is an infrequent pathology, it may have substantial clinical, physical, psychological and aesthetic implications, which implies that it is indispensable to perform adequate imaging-based procedures to enable its adequate diagnosis and management.