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Abstract Details

Intracranial Hemorrhage due to Arteriovenous Malformations in Hepatic Cirrhosis
Cerebrovascular Disease and Interventional Neurology
P15 - Poster Session 15 (5:30 PM-6:30 PM)
13-010

AVM formation was traditionally theorized as congenital or acquired in early childhood, but recent hypotheses have emerged considering de novo AVM formation in adulthood. This requires two hits: an inherited genetic mutation followed by an environmental trigger later in life which is commonly a disease state that leads to a vascular insult. However, there have only been 2 reported cases of AVM formation in the setting of liver hepatopathy alone. In these cases, venous hypertension and thrombosis served as the necessary ‘second hit’ in the pathway of AVM formation. In the setting of liver cirrhosis, pro-angiogenic factors released from the liver such as TGF-beta, TNF-alpha, VEGF, IL-6, matrix metalloproteinases, or deficient hepatic estrogen metabolism contributed to this phenomenon. 

To describe a case of arteriovenous malformation (AVM) rupture leading to intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in the setting of liver cirrhosis.
Case Report
We report the case of a 56-year-old male with past medical history significant for alcoholic cirrhosis complicated by portal hypertension who presented with a 3-week history of progressive anomia and expressive dysphasia. MRI revealed a chronic left temporoparietal ICH with scattered microbleeds and diagnosis of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) was suspected. However, cerebral angiogram performed to exclude other etiologies revealed multiple bilateral AVMs. The left frontal and deep temporal AVMs were thought to be the cause of the hemorrhage, rather than CAA. 
Awareness of ICH secondary to AVM rupture is an important aspect of clinical practice as it is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Unlike CAA, AVMs are responsive to surgical resection, endovascular, and/or stereotactic radiosurgery. Alternative causes of non-traumatic, non-hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage, besides CAA and cirrhosis associated coagulopathy should be considered in all cirrhosis patients. Complete AVM resolution after liver transplantation has been reported in one prior case of liver cirrhosis and presents as an alternative treatment option. 
Authors/Disclosures
Maya M. Ramy, MD
PRESENTER
Miss Ramy has nothing to disclose.
Kiely Whitham, NP (Houston Methodist Hospital) Mrs. Whitham has nothing to disclose.
No disclosure on file
No disclosure on file
Tanu Garg, MD (Houston Methodist Hospital) Dr. Garg has nothing to disclose.