Arteriovenous Aneurysm of the Great Vein of Galen with Heart Failure in the Neonatal Period

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Abstract
Two cases of arteriovenous aneurysm of the great vein of Galen are reported. Both were infants who died in the newborn period of heart failure. Both exhibited neck rigidity in addition to cardiovascular signs. One infant had persistent hypoglycemia. Clinical features of this type of arteriovenous aneurysm are reviewed and it appears that hydrocephalus and severe cardiovascular effects are commoner than in the "angioma" type of cerebral arteriovenous-aneurysm. Surgery appears to hold the possibility of cure in some cases, provided that diagnosis and angiography anticipate the potentially rapid decline of such patients.