Cerebral abscess: manifestation of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations.

Two cases in which cerebral abscess was the initial presenting feature of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations are reported. Cerebral abscess recurred in one patient. The pulmonary malformations were multiple and bilateral in both cases. One patient had associated features of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. Surgical resection of the largest malformations was performed in both cases. Cerebral abscess did not recur in either case post-operatively, though this may not have been due to surgical intervention.