Table of contents
Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations
Guidelines
Key sources
The following summarized guidelines for the evaluation and management of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations are prepared by our editorial team based on guidelines from the Hereditary Haemorrhagic Telangiectasia Working Group (HHT-WG 2020), the British Thoracic Society (BTS 2017), and the American College of Radiology (ACR 2016).
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Screening and diagnosis
Indications for screening, patients: as per HHT-WG 2020 guidelines, screen all patients with possible or confirmed HHT for PAVMs.
B
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Indications for screening (family relatives)
Diagnostic investigations
Diagnostic imaging
As per HHT-WG 2020 guidelines:
Consider obtaining contrast TTE as initial screening test for PAVMs.
C
Obtain low-dose non-contrast chest CT for diagnostic testing in pregnant patients with HHT and symptoms suggestive of PAVM (at any gestational age, as clinically indicated).
B
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Screening for HHT
Respiratory support
Supplemental oxygen
As per BTS 2017 guidelines:
Recognize that despite oxygenation parameters that would fulfil requirements for supplementary oxygen in other clinical settings, patients with hypoxemia due to PAVMs usually display good exercise capacity, flight tolerance and successful pregnancies, assuming normal physiological compensations can operate.
E
Do not offer supplementary oxygen in asymptomatic, hypoxemic patients with PAVMs.
D
Medical management
Antiplatelet therapy
As per BTS 2017 guidelines:
Consider initiating antiplatelet agents in patients with PAVMs, as they are at increased risk of ischemic stroke.
E
Recognize that the safety of thrombolysis is not established in patients with PAVMs.
E
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Preprocedural antibiotic prophylaxis
Nonpharmacologic interventions
Dental hygiene: as per BTS 2017 guidelines, advise judicious dental hygiene in patients with PAVMs.
E
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Iron supplementation
Rest
Therapeutic procedures
Transcatheter embolotherapy: as per HHT-WG 2020 guidelines, perform transcatheter embolotherapy for the treatment of PAVMs in patients with HHT.
B
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Therapeutic venesection
Surgical interventions
Lung resection: as per BTS 2017 guidelines, consider performing limited surgical resection if patients with PAVMs are unsuitable for embolization.
E
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Lung transplantation
Specific circumstances
Pediatric patients: as per HHT-WG 2020 guidelines, treat large PAVMs and PAVMs associated with reduced oxygen saturation in pediatric patients to avoid serious complications.
B
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Pregnant patients
Patient education
Follow-up and surveillance
Follow-up, general principles: as per HHT-WG 2020 guidelines, provide long-term follow-up in patients with PAVMs in order to detect growth of untreated PAVMs and also reperfusion of treated AVMs.
B
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Follow-up (treated PAVMs)
Follow-up (residual or untreated PAVMs)