Prediction of complications in gamma knife radiosurgery of arteriovenous malformation.

The incidence of complications following radiosurgical treatment of arteriovenous malformations (AVM) is presented. A simple relationship exists between average dose and risk of complications, and on this basis a model is presented that gives a qualitatively correct description of this relationship. The parameters of the model have been determined using a clinical material of 862 AVM treatments to give a quantitatively correct description of the risk of complications. The dose-response curve is described by a double-exponential function. An accurate description of the dose-response curve at high dose levels is shown to be very important in radiosurgery.