Surgical management of scalp arteriovenous malformations using a novel surgical technique—Case series

INTRODUCTION Scalp AVM (SAVM) is a rare condition. Although surgical excision is considered as definitive treatment for these lesions, troublesome intraoperative bleeding may pose a challenge. Embolization as an alternative modality is gaining popularity. Proximal feeding artery temporary clipping has been utilized by the authors in this series to address troublesome intraoperative bleeding. PRESENTATION OF CASES The authors present their experience in the surgical management of 3 cases with SAVMs using proximal feeding artery temporary occlusion followed by total surgical excision. The clinical presentations and radiological features of these cases are discussed in the article. Intraoperative blood loss was less than 150ml in all patients. Postoperative period was uneventful with no morbidity or mortality. DISCUSSION Intraoperative bleeding during surgical excision of scalp AVMs can be troublesome and challenging. To combat this, the authors advocate proximal feeding artery temporary clipping prior to surgical excision of the lesion. The external carotid artery was temporarily clipped in one case and superficial temporal artery in two patients. CONCLUSION Although most SAVMs can be operated by traditional method of excision, use of temporary clipping of feeding arteries (like Superficial temporal artery[STA], External carotid artery[ECA]) enables total excision of giant SAVMs with minimal blood loss for a definitive cure. This novel technique obviates the need for preoperative embolization.