Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypes and SymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types and Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Often, AV fistulas are created surgically for patients who requiredialysis. These are used as an access point to connect the patient to a dialysis machine.
Untreated, large arteriovenous fistulas can cause serious problems. Keep reading to learn more about AV fistulas, including the types, symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment.
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Small AV fistulas occur in the legs, arms, lungs, gastrointestinal (GI) tract, or brain. They don’t always cause signs or symptoms, and may not need treatment other than monitoring. However, larger AV fistulas may cause symptoms.
AV Fistula of a Leg or Arm
AV fistulas commonly occur in a leg or arm. They are also surgically created in an arm for use in dialysis.
Symptoms of an AV fistula in a leg or arm might include:
In addition to heart failure, large AV fistulas that are left untreated can lead toblood clots, leg pain,stroke, or bleeding.
Pulmonary AV Fistula
AV fistulas can also affect the lungs. A pulmonary arteriovenous fistula is a very serious condition.
Symptoms of this type of pulmonary AV fistula might include:
What Could Cause a Bounding Pulse?
AV Fistulas of the GI Tract
AV fistulas also affect the gastrointestinal tract and causebleedingthere.These types of AV fistulas are rare.
Dural Arteriovenous Fistulas
Dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVF) are abnormal connections between an artery and vein in the dura mater (tough covering) of the brain orspinal cord. These types of AV fistulas affect people later in life.They are not passed on genetically.
DAVFs usually involve large brain veins. They develop from narrowing or blockage in the brain’s venous sinuses.The venous sinuses are responsible for routing circulated blood from the brain back to the heart.
Most people do not have symptoms with a DAVF. If a person has symptoms, they are either benign or aggressive.
Benign symptoms might include:
Bleed in the brain can lead to sudden headaches with varying degrees of neurological disability. On the other hand, neurological deficits tend to develop gradually over days or months and will cause symptoms based on the location of the DAVF.
Aggressive symptoms might include:
You should see a healthcare provider if you experience signs and symptoms of any type of AV fistula. Early detection makes it easier to treat an AV fistula. Treating it as early as possible can reduce the risk of complications.
AV fistulas are either congenital or acquired. Congenital means a person was born with the AV fistula. An acquired AV fistula is one that developed or was created after a person’s birth and/or later in life.
Congenital AV Fistulas
Congenital AV fistulas are rare.The exact reasons for why they might occur are unknown, but they may occur in some babies whose arteries and veins don’t develop correctly while in the womb.
Pulmonary AV fistulas can result from the abnormal development of blood vessels located in the lungs. These types of fistulas are also common in people with a condition calledhereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia(HHT). People with HHT have abnormal blood vessels in many areas of their bodies.
Acquired AV Fistulas
The AV fistula is created forhemodialysis, an ongoing treatment that filters wastes and water from the blood in the same way healthy kidneys do.
Your healthcare provider might suspect an AV fistula based on your symptoms. A large acquired AV fistula can cause what is called a machinery murmur.A medical professional can hear a sound similar to a moving motor when placing astethoscopeover the affected area.
Confirming an AV fistula requires imaging, including doppler ultrasonography, computerized tomography (CT) angiogram, and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA):
Small AV fistulas usually don’t cause any problems. But your healthcare provider will want to monitor you to see if the AV fistula closes on its own. If you need treatment, your practitioner might recommend ultrasound-guided compression or catheter embolization:
A Word From Verywell
Many AV fistulas will resolve on their own. However, larger ones need to be treated, or they can cause serious complications, such as stroke, heart failure, or neurological deficits. Fortunately, the prognosis can be positive once an AV fistula is treated.
If you experience symptoms of shortness of breath with exertion, problems with breathing, chest pain, severe headache, neurological problems, or other symptoms of any type of AV fistula, it is important to let your healthcare provider know right away. Prompt recognition and early treatment are important for a good outcome.
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Rajan DK.New approaches to arteriovenous fistula creation.Semin Intervent Radiol. 2016;33(1):6-9. doi:10.1055/s-0036-1571805American Heart Association.Warning signs of heart failure.MedlinePlus.Pulmonary arteriovenous fistula.Bozkurt A, Sözen M, Kırbaş I, et al.Acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding originating from an arteriovenous fistula of superior rectal artery.Int J Colorectal Dis. 2014 Nov;29(11):1433. doi:10.1007/s00384-014-1906-yBoston Medical Center.Dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVF).An YH, Han S, Lee M, et al.Dural arteriovenous fistula masquerading as pulsatile tinnitus: radiologic assessment and clinical implications.Sci Rep. 2016;6:36601. doi:10.1038/srep36601Miller TR, Gandhi D.Intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulae: clinical presentation and management strategies.Stroke. 2015;46(7):2017-25. doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.115.008228Li G, Hu X, Wang Y, Chen S.Congenital subclavian-superior vena cava arteriovenous fistula with initial stenosis in an adult: a case report.BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2020;20(1):376. doi:10.1186/s12872-020-01660-5Endovascular Today.Arteriovenous fistulas: etiology and treatment.University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.Arteriovenous (AV) fistula.von Stempel C, Cloran J, Jeevaratnam P, et al.Normal ultrasound doppler parameters for functioning AV fistulas.J Vasc Surg.2018;42(2):61–67. doi:10.1177/1544316718784347Johns Hopkins Medicine.Arteriovenous fistula (DAVF).
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Rajan DK.New approaches to arteriovenous fistula creation.Semin Intervent Radiol. 2016;33(1):6-9. doi:10.1055/s-0036-1571805American Heart Association.Warning signs of heart failure.MedlinePlus.Pulmonary arteriovenous fistula.Bozkurt A, Sözen M, Kırbaş I, et al.Acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding originating from an arteriovenous fistula of superior rectal artery.Int J Colorectal Dis. 2014 Nov;29(11):1433. doi:10.1007/s00384-014-1906-yBoston Medical Center.Dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVF).An YH, Han S, Lee M, et al.Dural arteriovenous fistula masquerading as pulsatile tinnitus: radiologic assessment and clinical implications.Sci Rep. 2016;6:36601. doi:10.1038/srep36601Miller TR, Gandhi D.Intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulae: clinical presentation and management strategies.Stroke. 2015;46(7):2017-25. doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.115.008228Li G, Hu X, Wang Y, Chen S.Congenital subclavian-superior vena cava arteriovenous fistula with initial stenosis in an adult: a case report.BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2020;20(1):376. doi:10.1186/s12872-020-01660-5Endovascular Today.Arteriovenous fistulas: etiology and treatment.University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.Arteriovenous (AV) fistula.von Stempel C, Cloran J, Jeevaratnam P, et al.Normal ultrasound doppler parameters for functioning AV fistulas.J Vasc Surg.2018;42(2):61–67. doi:10.1177/1544316718784347Johns Hopkins Medicine.Arteriovenous fistula (DAVF).
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Rajan DK.New approaches to arteriovenous fistula creation.Semin Intervent Radiol. 2016;33(1):6-9. doi:10.1055/s-0036-1571805American Heart Association.Warning signs of heart failure.MedlinePlus.Pulmonary arteriovenous fistula.Bozkurt A, Sözen M, Kırbaş I, et al.Acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding originating from an arteriovenous fistula of superior rectal artery.Int J Colorectal Dis. 2014 Nov;29(11):1433. doi:10.1007/s00384-014-1906-yBoston Medical Center.Dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVF).An YH, Han S, Lee M, et al.Dural arteriovenous fistula masquerading as pulsatile tinnitus: radiologic assessment and clinical implications.Sci Rep. 2016;6:36601. doi:10.1038/srep36601Miller TR, Gandhi D.Intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulae: clinical presentation and management strategies.Stroke. 2015;46(7):2017-25. doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.115.008228Li G, Hu X, Wang Y, Chen S.Congenital subclavian-superior vena cava arteriovenous fistula with initial stenosis in an adult: a case report.BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2020;20(1):376. doi:10.1186/s12872-020-01660-5Endovascular Today.Arteriovenous fistulas: etiology and treatment.University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.Arteriovenous (AV) fistula.von Stempel C, Cloran J, Jeevaratnam P, et al.Normal ultrasound doppler parameters for functioning AV fistulas.J Vasc Surg.2018;42(2):61–67. doi:10.1177/1544316718784347Johns Hopkins Medicine.Arteriovenous fistula (DAVF).
Rajan DK.New approaches to arteriovenous fistula creation.Semin Intervent Radiol. 2016;33(1):6-9. doi:10.1055/s-0036-1571805
American Heart Association.Warning signs of heart failure.
MedlinePlus.Pulmonary arteriovenous fistula.
Bozkurt A, Sözen M, Kırbaş I, et al.Acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding originating from an arteriovenous fistula of superior rectal artery.Int J Colorectal Dis. 2014 Nov;29(11):1433. doi:10.1007/s00384-014-1906-y
Boston Medical Center.Dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVF).
An YH, Han S, Lee M, et al.Dural arteriovenous fistula masquerading as pulsatile tinnitus: radiologic assessment and clinical implications.Sci Rep. 2016;6:36601. doi:10.1038/srep36601
Miller TR, Gandhi D.Intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulae: clinical presentation and management strategies.Stroke. 2015;46(7):2017-25. doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.115.008228
Li G, Hu X, Wang Y, Chen S.Congenital subclavian-superior vena cava arteriovenous fistula with initial stenosis in an adult: a case report.BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2020;20(1):376. doi:10.1186/s12872-020-01660-5
Endovascular Today.Arteriovenous fistulas: etiology and treatment.
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.Arteriovenous (AV) fistula.
von Stempel C, Cloran J, Jeevaratnam P, et al.Normal ultrasound doppler parameters for functioning AV fistulas.J Vasc Surg.2018;42(2):61–67. doi:10.1177/1544316718784347
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Arteriovenous fistula (DAVF).
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