Stereotactic Bragg peak proton beam radiosurgery for cerebral arteriovenous malformations.

A series of 709 patients with inaccessible AVMs treated with the proton beam is reported. There is a follow-up time of over 2 years for 92% of the patients. AVMs have slightly lower thresholds for proton injury than does normal brain tissue. Proton beam therapy involves very low risk. However, the risks of treatment failure grow with inadequate therapeutic doses.