PULMONARY ARTERIOVENOUS MALFORMATION (AVM)

Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) are a disorder where arteries connected directly to veins without any capillaries in between. This means that they shunt blood from the right heart system to the left heart system without picking up oxygen in the lungs. This results in symptoms of low oxygen, shortness of breath, fatigue. These malformations may also bleed, resulting in coughing up blood or blood in the chest. These malformations may also allow small blood clots to pass through the lungs and travel to the arteries in the body, with risk for stroke or brain abscess. This is a significant reason to shut these shunts down in anyone who has a non inherited pulmonary arteriovenous malformation (PAVM) or anyone who has inherited PAVMs with the syndrome of HHT (hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia).