December 14, 2006

Johnson: A Congenital Brain Tangle

CNN reports that Sen. Tim Johnson has been dignosed with a congenital arteriovenous malformation. (AVM).

CNN's Sanjay Gupta: "We're talking about a long road, here." Recovery time may take weeks or months or longer.

The Johnson family is said to be "encouraged and optimistic."

The location of the malformation -- near Broca's area, which helps to control speech, suggests that he will need significant therapy to recover his full speech functions.

If the capillary bed is thought of as a sponge, then an AVM is the rough equivalent of jamming a tangle of flexible soda straws from artery to vein through that sponge. On arteriorgram films AVM formation often resemble a tangle of spaghetti noodles. This tangle of blood vessels forms a relatively direct connection between high pressure arteries and low pressure veins.

Posted at 09:03 AM

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Comments

How sad for Senator Johnson and his family.

I certainly wouldn't want to take over the senate because of his illness.

CB | 12.14.06 09:19 AM

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