Familial arteriovenous malformations in siblings

BACKGROUND: Familial arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) of the brain are rare. We present two sisters with the same parents who harbored AVMs that were successfully treated. METHODS: The elder sister presented with a unilateral migrainous type of headache overlying the right parietal area. The younger one suffered from exercise-induced headaches. Both were neurologically intact. Magnetic resonance imaging scans of the brain and cerebral angiography delineated the lesions. Both sisters underwent endovascular embolization followed by surgical resection. RESULTS: Postoperatively, aside from a left inferior quadrantanopsia in the elder sister, both were neurologically intact. CONCLUSIONS: We report the rare occurrence of familial AVMs in two siblings and review the literature of 14 reports. No genetic predisposition was found.