Cardiovascular dimensions in patients with intracranial arteriovenous malformation.

Cardiovascular Dimensions in Patients With Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformation • The hemodynamics of 29 adult subjects with a congenital intracranial arteriovenous malformation were studied by radiocardiography. The cardiac index, heart rate, stroke index, systemic arterial pulse pressure and radiographical heart volume did not differ significantly from the normal. However, the total blood volume (P < 0.001) and the plasma volume (P < 0.05) were greater than normal. The radiocardiograms of 17 patients were analyzed by analogue computer. The right heart blood volume (P < 0.05) and the left heart blood volume (P < 0.02) were above normal, but of equal magnitude. The pulmonary blood volume did not differ from the normal. The same was true of the respective volumes as percentages of the total blood volume. The cardiopulmonary (P<0.01) and the peripheral (P < 0.005) blood volumes were greater than normal. The results indicate that the major circulatory consequence of a congenital intracranial arteriovenous malformation is an increased circulating blood volume. The size or the location of the malformation did not correlate with the hemodynamic parameters. Additional