Analysis of the Incidence of Neurological Dysfunction After Interventional Embolization for Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformations

Objective: To investigate the occurrence and causes of neurological dysfunction after interventional embolization for brain arteriovenous malformations (bAVM) in nonfunctional areas. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 41 patients with bAVM in nonfunctional areas who underwent endovascular interventional embolization in our hospital from March 2020 to February 2025. The modified Rankin scale (mRS) was used to evaluate the occurrence of neurological dysfunction before surgery and 3 days after surgery. An increase in the scale score was considered a new postoperative injury, and the causes were analyzed. Results: According to the Spetzler-Martin grading, 39 of the 41 patients with bAVM in nonfunctional areas (95.12%) had an mRS score ≤2 points 3 days after surgery, indicating good overall surgical results. Two patients (4.88%) showed an increase in mRS score, suggesting new neurological dysfunction, including 1 case (2.44%) with hemorrhage and death, and 1 case (2.44%) with local cerebral ischemia. Conclusion: Interventional embolization is a safe and effective treatment for bAVM in nonfunctional areas. Although nonfunctional areas are relatively safe for surgery, there is a certain incidence of postoperative neurological dysfunction. Adopting different treatment strategies, personalized therapy, and avoiding intraoperative complications are the keys to reducing the occurrence of postoperative neurological dysfunction.