Nonsurgical Treatment of AVM: Development of New Liquid Embolization Method

Abstract

For the recent development of intravascular surgery, it has become possible to treat the arteriovenous malformation (AVM) with percutaneous transluminal embolization. Because it is still difficult to achieve complete cure even with supreme techniques, it seemed to be mandatory to develop an ideal embolization method: superselective balloon catheters and embolization materials. First, we developed a silicone superselective balloon catheter with a floppy tip. Using this catheter, we could catheterize even into perforating branches of middle cerebral or posterior cerebral arteries. Second, we developed a new embolization method using new liquid materials. The materials which are used now consist of conjugated estrogen diluted in 25% ethanol and polyvinyl acetate. In this report, we present the process of the experimental and clinical development.