title: Pediatric arteriovenous malformation: University of Toronto experience using stereotactic radiosurgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are congenital vascular lesions of the brain, which behave differently in pediatric population compared to adults. Treatment of pediatric AVMs includes a combination of microsurgery, embolization and radiation therapies. However, the role of radiosurgery in the treatment of pediatric AVMs is not fully accepted because of concerns regarding the long-term effects of radiation on the pediatric brain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, we review our experience at the University of Toronto with treating pediatric AVMs using linear accelerator-based (LINAC) radiosurgery over the past 15 years. We report our results, obliteration rates, and complications on a total of 40 patients. In addition, we provide a review of series published to date combined with our own results to determine whether radiosurgery is a safe and reasonable treatment modality for pediatric AVMs.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (SHSC), Suite A129, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada.
authors.forename: Gelareh
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zadeh
authors.forename: Yuri M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Andrade-Souza
authors.forename: May N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Tsao
authors.forename: Daryl
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Scora
authors.forename: Derek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Humphreys
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rutka
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Drake
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dirks
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Schwartz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001165:Arteriovenous Malformations / Q000601:surgery*; D002170:Canada; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery; D010372:Pediatrics; D016634:Radiosurgery / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome