No. A brain aneurysm and an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) are different conditions, though both involve abnormal blood vessel pathology and both carry a risk of haemorrhage.
A brain aneurysm is a localised balloon-like weakening of an arterial wall that can rupture under blood pressure. An AVM is an abnormal tangle of blood vessels that directly connects arteries to veins without the normal capillary network between them. AVMs are congenital lesions that present most commonly in young adults with haemorrhage, seizures, or headaches. Both conditions can be treated endovascularly. AVM embolisation using liquid embolic agents reduces blood flow through the malformation and can be used prior to surgery or radiosurgery, or in selected cases as the primary treatment. I perform AVM embolisation as part of my neuroendovascular practice at SPARSH Hospital.
Written by Dr Robin Gupta, MBBS, MS General Surgery, MCh Neurosurgery (GB Pant Hospital and Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi), Consultant Neurosurgeon and Stroke Specialist, Neuroendovascular Surgeon, SPARSH Hospital, Infantry Road, Vasanth Nagar, Bengaluru.
