Radiation-Induced Malignant Glioma Following Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for an Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM)

Patient selection: gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) for an intracranial arteriovenous malformation (AVM)

The estimated chance of developing a radiation-induced tumor at >= 10 years after GKRS was 0.64%.

There is a long lag period for tumor development, with risk extending for decades after GKRS. This can be important for patients treated as children or young adults.

Tumors may present:

(1) due to an intracranial mass effect

(2) as a finding on follow-up CNS imaging studies

The tumors are typically found near the site of the AVM.

The tumor often is a high-grade glioma such as a glioblastoma.