Arteriovenous malformation
Arteriovenous malformation or
AVM is a congenital disorder of unknown cause, which produces diffuse or localized vascular lesions consisting of tangle(s) of vessels with abnormal connections and no
capillaries. Since the normal structure of the vessels are lacking, they are extremely fragile and easy to bleed. AVMs can occur in various parts of the body including the
brain,
spleen,
lung,
kidney and
liver. AVMs may occur in isolation or as a part of another disease (e.g.
von Hippel-Lindau disease).