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CLOUDY Temp: 38 °F Wind: ENE at 4 mph Saturday, December 21, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend December 11, 2002 Sidebar: Arterial Venous Malformation An arterial venous malformation is a nest of tangled blood vessels that may occur in many parts of the body. Normally, blood travels from the heart to all the body’s tissues through the arteries. These arteries get progressively smaller to the point where they become very thin-walled capillaries. The now nutrient-poor blood returns to the heart through the veins. In AVMs, there are no capillaries and blood flow patterns are highly irregular. When AVMs involve parts of the central nervous system (the brain, spinal cord and their respective coverings), there is a danger of hemorrhage and stroke. Approximately one in 280,000 individuals in the United States have AVMs. The most likely cause of AVMs is genetic. There are no known risk factors for their development. Most AVMs are discovered between the age of 20 and 40, and about one quarter of all AVMs bleed or hemorrhage within the first 15 years of life. Roughly 25 percent of all AVMs are detected after seizures. The seizures are rarely life-threatening and may be controlled through medication. Source: Inland Neuroscience & Spine Center, Sacred Heart Medical Center, Spokane, Wash. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search M Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy web master feedback A D V E R T I S E R S