A 35-year-old woman presents with progressive visual field deficits and seizures. MRI shows a 2.5 cm left temporal lobe AVM with a nidus measuring 2 cm, draining into the superficial cortical veins, in non-eloquent cortex. What is the Spetzler-Martin grade of this AVM?
- A Grade 2
- B Grade 1 ✓
- C Grade 3
- D Grade 4
Correct answer: B. Grade 1
Explanation
The Spetzler-Martin grading system scores AVMs on three criteria: size (1 for <3 cm, 2 for 3-6 cm, 3 for >6 cm), venous drainage (0 for superficial, 1 for deep), and eloquence of adjacent brain (0 for non-eloquent, 1 for eloquent). This AVM is <3 cm (1 point), superficial drainage (0 points), and non-eloquent location (0 points), giving a total score of 1, which is Grade 1. Grade 1-2 AVMs have low surgical morbidity.
Reference: Bailey and Love's Short Practice of Surgery, 28th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.