Trial Information

Evaluation and Treatment of Patients With Spinal Vascular Abnormalities

Spinal Arteriovenous Malformations are rare lesions that frequently effect young patients
and adults in their most productive years. They cause progressive myelopathy, ultimately
causing paraplegia or quadriplegia if untreated. Because they are rare lesions, experience
with treating them in sufficient numbers to permit classification of them, investigation of
the pathophysiology of myelopathy, and the introduction of new techniques for treatment has
been possible in only a very few centers in this country. One essential element of
investigation of them is selective spinal arteriography. Since selective spinal
arteriography was first introduced for these lesions here at the NIH in the mid 1960's by
Drs. John Doppman and Giovanni DiChiro, the NIH has been such a center of expertise for
patients with spinal arteriovenous malformations. Because of this, NIH has been, and is, a
national referral center for these patients. However, there has never been an approved
protocol at the NIH for investigation or treatment of these patients. The purpose of this
proposal is to present a plan of investigation and treatment which will serve as a protocol
under which to admit these patients and to permit continued accrual of clinical experience
with them that will serve to guide others in the management of these patients.