Brain Scanning in Detection of Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations

Routine brain scanning, using a scintillation camera and Tc99m pertechnetate, was performed on 42 patients with an intracranial arteriovenous malformation. Thirty-two (76 %) of them had a positive brain scan, and the location of increased uptake correlated well with the localisation of the malformation found in carotid angiography. Large malformations were detected significantly better than small malformations. The largest malformations with negative brain scanning were located in the posterior fossa and temporobasally. In 18 cases (43 %) one or several “tails” of increased activity on the scan were seen sprouting from the local uptake. These tails corresponds to the afferent and efferent vessels of the malformation seen in carotid angiography. Such tails of increased activity are highly suggestive of intracranial arteriovenous malformation.