Uterine arteriovenous malformation: A retrospective study from a tertiary center in southern Karnataka

<ns3:p>Introduction Uterine arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a rare cause of chronic to catastrophic vaginal bleeding. The basic pathology is an abnormal arteriovenous connection in the uterine myometrium, which is observed as an entangled serpentine vascular architecture on ultrasound. Color Doppler and higher imaging modalities with angiography are usually used to confirm a diagnosis. Materials and methods An electronic database of Obstetrics and Gynecology departments was searched for cases of arteriovenous malformation (AVM) between 2021 and 2025. Only cases of AVM confirmed by ultrasound or higher imaging were considered. Results We comprehensively reported 15 cases of arteriovenous malformations. All patients had acquired AVMs, with abnormal uterine bleeding as the main symptom in 93% of cases. The treatment provided was medical management in 26% of patients, conservative management by transcatheter embolization in 66%, and hysterectomy in 6.6%. Conclusion AVMs are rare in clinical practice, and an understanding of their pathophysiology and prompt diagnosis are highly important for managing this emergency. Fertility-preserving treatments include medical therapy and uterine artery embolization. Hysterectomy may be the definitive treatment for selected cases.</ns3:p>