Describe the features of a brain arteriovenous malformation.?

Often none: Unless it leaks, there would be no symptoms in most cases. Leaking can cause intense headache or stroke-like symptoms such as focal weakness, loss of speech or vision. Avm discovered after a minor stroke can be corrected before a major stroke. Family history of avm may prompt investigation in someone with no symptoms.

Congenital: An avm is a congenital malformation of brain and possibly spinal blood vessels. They predispose those that have them to neurologic symptoms and, potentially, bleeding. A thorough neurosurgical evaluation is essentially if an avm is suspected.

Localized deficits: A brain AVM is a connection of arteries directly to veins, without going through capilaries. When the flow increases it can produce a 'steal' effect by taking blood from surrounding tissue, resulting in an abnormality of brain fuction controled by the area of the 'steal'. another manifestation is a result of bleeding of the aVM