title: Surgical treatment of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations.
abstract: Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) are direct communications between the branches of pulmonary arteries and veins. This study evaluates surgically treated cases of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations.
  
  
  
  We retrospectively examined 41 cases of PAVM that were operated in our clinic between 1995 and 2012. We obtained the clinical, radiological, and surgical data of the patients from their files.
  
  
  
  The 41 cases comprised 27 males and 14 females. Their mean age at diagnosis was 39.8 years (range: 9-71). The symptoms were hemoptysis in 28 cases, dyspnea in five, cough in three, and epistaxis in two; three patients were asymptomatic. Twenty-three right and 19 left posterolateral thoracotomies were performed, including one case which was operated bilaterally. Lower lobectomy was performed in 17 patients, lower lobectomy and lingulectomy in two, upper lobectomy in ten, middle lobectomy in two, segmentectomy in seven, and wedge resection in four. Postoperative histopathology was arteriovenous malformation in all cases.
  
  
  
  PAVMs are rare clinical conditions. Surgery remains the first choice when embolization treatment cannot be performed or is not successful, in symptomatic and complicated patients with PAVM, and/or in cases where the PAVM diagnosis cannot be established.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Atatürk Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Pınar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Biçakçioğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Atatürk Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Selim Şakir Erkmen
authors.initials: SŞ
authors.lastname: Gülhan
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Atatürk Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ebru
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sayilir
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Atatürk Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ertürk
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Atatürk Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yetkin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ağaçkiran
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Atatürk Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sadi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nurettin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Karaoğlanoğlu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001164:Arteriovenous Fistula / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001165:Arteriovenous Malformations / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011013:Pneumonectomy; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013908:Thoracotomy; D055815:Young Adult