1972 Volume 13 Issue 6 Pages 471-477
Seventeen adult patients with cerebral arteriovenous malformation were studied on cardiac effects of this disease. Of all 17 patients tested, the electrocardiogram revealed left ventricular hypertrophy in 5, sinus bradycardia in 4, WPW syndrome in one, and no abnormality in 7 others. There were 3 patients having a slight increase in the cardiothoracic ratio over 51%, and 14 having normal heart size determined from the chest X-ray taken.
Of all 11 patients, in whom brain circulation was measured by the intravenous RISA technique, cranial blood flow (CBF) increased significantly in 5, remained within normal value in 4, and slightly decreased in 2 patients. Left ventricular hypertrophy on ECG was observed in 3 of 5 patients with a high CBF, but in none from the patients with normal or subnormal CBF, suggesting that the occurrence of ventricular hypertrophy was highly related with an increased CBF.
The relationship between cerebral arteriovenous malformation and cardiac changes is discussed.
