Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41885924›Full record

SynthesisEuropean radiology2026

The safety and effectiveness of ethanol embolosclerotherapy in the treatment of arterio-venous malformations: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aisling Carroll Downey, Wayne F Yakes, Auh Whan Park, Sang Yub Lee, Xiaoxi Lin, Chen Hua, Siobhan Flanagan, Joao Amaral, Afsaneh Amirabadi, Alessandro Gasparetto

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European radiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Aisling Carroll DowneyDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada. aislingcd@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0005-0977-906X
Wayne F YakesThe Yakes Vascular Malformation Centre, Englewood, CO, USA.
Auh Whan ParkDepartment of Interventional Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre, Dallas, TX, USA.
Sang Yub LeeDepartment of Radiology, Samsung Medical Centre, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
Xiaoxi LinDivision of Vascular Anomalies, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Chen HuaDivision of Vascular Anomalies, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Siobhan FlanaganDepartment of Interventional Radiology, Fairview Health Services, University of Minnesota Medical Centre, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Joao AmaralDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Afsaneh AmirabadiDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Alessandro GasparettoDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates the safety and effectiveness of ethanol embolosclerotherapy for musculoskeletal and soft tissue arteriovenous malformations. Thirty-three studies comprising 920 patients were included. Symptom resolution or improvement was achieved in 96% (95% CI: 92-98%) of patients after multiple treatments and in 25% (95% CI: 16-37%) following a single treatment. Outcomes were more favourable in younger patients (SMD = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.02-0.68, p = 0.04) and varied by anatomical site, with lower success rates in hand/foot lesions. Major adverse events occurred in 2% (95% CI: 1-3%) of treatments. Clinical (Schöbinger type II vs III lesions) and angiographic (Cho-Do type II vs III lesions) classifications did not significantly predict outcomes. These findings support ethanol embolosclerotherapy as an effective treatment for arteriovenous malformations, particularly in younger patients. KEY POINTS: Question What is the overall effectiveness and safety of ethanol embolosclerotherapy in treating high-flow arteriovenous malformations? Findings Ethanol embolosclerotherapy improved or resolved symptoms in 96% of patients, with major adverse events occurring in only 2% of treatments. Clinical relevance The results provide strong evidence for the continued use of ethanol embolosclerotherapy in the treatment of arteriovenous malformations and support earlier intervention when possible. This review offers clinicians a summary reference of treatment practices used across multiple centres.

Indexed as

Arteriovenous MalformationsEmbolization, TherapeuticEthanolSclerotherapyFemaleHumansMalePrevalenceSclerosing SolutionsTreatment OutcomeEthanolSclerosing SolutionsArteriovenous malformationsEmbolizationEthanolSclerotherapyTherapeutic

Identifiers

PMID41885924

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.