On the move: Lilith ’s dramatic recovery from arteriovenous fistula

It began like any typical late summer day. Lilith Borden and her mom, Victoria, had stopped by a farm near their Concord, New Hampshire, home where the 3-year-old could enjoy an ice cream cone — and burn off some energy playing in a nearby field. “We were running through the grass, when Lilith suddenly grabbed the back of her neck and screamed that she had a boo-boo,” Victoria remembers. Within seconds, she seemed to have trouble moving. As Victoria called for help, the little girl collapsed to the ground. At first, the cause of Lilith’s emergency seemed apparent. A small red mark on her neck, combined with a nearby swarm of yellow jackets, suggested an obvious culprit. With a family history of insect sting allergies, an anaphylactic reaction was everyone’s first guess. Lilith received a shot of epinephrine and was moved to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, where she was placed in a medically-induced coma to heal. But when she woke from the coma, Lilith wasn’t any better. In fact, she couldn’t sit up or move her arms. Something far more serious than a simple insect sting was at work. Arteriovenous fistula: A frightening diagnosis Concerned by Lilith’s sudden paralysis and worried about the possibility of brain damage, her doctors ordered a series of MRI scans. While the scans didn’t show any brain damage, they did identify an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) in her spinal cord. AVFs are rare malformations that occur when arteries connect directly to veins, put...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Diseases & Conditions Our Patients’ Stories arteriovenous fistula AVF Cerebrovascular Surgery and Interventions Center Dr. Darren Orbach endovascular embolization Source Type: news