High-flow arteriovenous malformations of the mandible and the maxilla: report of 2 cases

Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are rare vascular lesions that can be life-threatening due to potential massive hemorrhage. AVMs can be subdivided according to the type of vessel involved (capillary, venous, and arterial) and can be categorized, according to hemodynamic features, into high-flow and low-flow lesions. AVM of the jaws is an uncommon disease. Clinical signs and symptoms of AVM may include pain, erythematous gingiva, spontaneous gingival bleeding, resorption and mobility of teeth, soft tissue discoloration, facial swelling, and asymmetry. Radiographically, AVMs are osteolytic and frequently have indistinct margins. Computed tomography can demonstrate enhancement of the lesions, while angiography can depict distended feeder vessels and arteriovenous shunts. Magnetic resonance imaging can visualize flow voids in high-flow abnormalities. The purpose of this paper was to present 2 high-flow cases of arteriovenous malformations: one with a large AVM lesion in the mandible that presented clinically as a discoloration on the mucosa and gingiva with loss of lip sensation; and the second with a lesion in the maxilla discovered during an extraction of a root fragment. Management of the lesions was achieved by embolization.