Comparison of Long-Term Outcomes in Ruptured Diffuse Brain Arteriovenous Malformations Between Interventional Therapy and Conservative Management

Brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) with a diffuse nidus structure present a therapeutic challenge due to their complexity and elevated risk of hemorrhagic events. This study examines the long-term effectiveness of interventional therapy versus conservative management in reducing hemorrhagic stroke or death in patients with ruptured diffuse AVMs. The analysis was conducted based on a multi-institutional database in China. Patients were divided into two groups: conservative management and interventional therapy. Using propensity score matching, patients were compared for the primary outcome of hemorrhagic stroke or death and the secondary outcomes of disability and neurofunctional decline. Out of 4286 consecutive AVMs in the registry, 901 patients were eligible. After matching, 70 pairs of patients remained with a median follow-up of 4.0 years. The conservative management group showed a trend toward higher rates of the primary outcome compared to the interventional group (4.15 vs. 1.87 per 100 patient-years, P = 0.090). While not statistically significant, intervention reduced the risk of hemorrhagic stroke or death by 55% (HR, 0.45 [95% CI 0.18–1.14], P = 0.094). No significant differences were observed in secondary outcomes of disability (OR, 0.89 [95% CI 0.35–2.26], P = 0.813) and neurofunctional decline (OR, 0.65 [95% CI 0.26 –1.63], P = 0.355). Subgroup analysis revealed particular benefits in interventional therapy for AVMs with a supplemented S-M grade of II-VI (HR, 0.10 [95% CI 0.01–0.79], P = 0.029). This study suggests a trend toward lower long-term hemorrhagic risks with intervention when compared to conservative management in ruptured diffuse AVMs, especially within supplemented S-M grade II–VI subgroups. No evidence indicated that interventional approaches worsen neurofunctional outcomes.