High altitude: an unusual cause of neurological deterioration in a patient with an arteriovenous malformation.

High altitude associated with neurological deterioration is an unusual presentation for an arteriovenous malformation (AVM). A case report of a man with a left temporal occipital AVM who developed symptoms that were markedly intensified by exposure to high altitude is presented. The AVM was removed surgically, and all symptoms resolved. The pathogenesis of this unusual AVM symptom complex is discussed in this report.