Radiosurgery significantly decreases the risk of hemorrhage in patients with cerebral arteriovenous malformations, even before there is angiographic evidence of obliteration. The risk of hemorrhage is further reduced, although not eliminated, after obliteration.

These results indicate that conservatively treated AVMs are more likely to bleed and thus produce a high incidence of patient mortality. Multimodal treatment including radiosurgery, microsurgery, and embolization improved clinical outcomes by making it possible to treat difficult cases successfully.

The data indicate that stereotactic radiosurgery can control tumor growth if the whole mass can be irradiated by dosages of more than 14 Gy. When optimal radiosurgical planning is not feasible because of a tumor's large size, irregular shape, or proximity to visual pathways, use of limited surgical resection before radiosurgery is the best option and should provide sufficient long-term tumor control with minimal complications.

Radiosurgery is an acceptable treatment for small AVMs in children and adolescents in whom a higher obliteration rate can be achieved with lower risks of interval hemorrhage compared with the reported results in the general population. Careful follow-up observation seems to be required, however, even after angiographically verified obliteration.

After the introduction of CT and MR images into dose planning, the conformity and selectivity of dosimetry improved remarkably, although the latency intervals until obliteration were prolonged. Imaging outcomes for AVMs should be evaluated using data provided by longer follow-up periods. The timing of additional treatments for residual AVMs should be decided cautiously, considering the size of the AVM, the patient age and sex, and the history of hemorrhage before radiosurgery.