Craniofacial Arteriovenous Malformation Diagnosed in the Neonatal Period: A Case Report

Congenital arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in neonates present a significant diagnostic challenge due to their clinical overlap with benign vascular lesions such as infantile hemangiomas, requiring detailed clinical and radiological evaluation to exclude high-flow dynamics, muscular invasion, or intracranial extension.A term male neonate presented with a localized right temporo-facial hemangioma-like lesion.Bedside cranial and abdominal ultrasonography excluded visceral anomalies and intracranial pathology.Contrastenhanced Head MRI confirmed a high-flow right temporal AVM involving the temporalis muscle and extending to the zygomatic/orbital region, predominantly supplied by external carotid artery branches without major middle cerebral artery involvement.The patient was evaluated by an interdisciplinary team comprising neonatology, pediatric neurosurgery, and plastic surgery.After neurosurgical clearance, the infant was discharged home in stable condition on full feeds.At the post-discharge NICU follow-up clinic, the infant demonstrated excellent clinical progress, normal neurodevelopment, and appropriate physical growth with active feeding and stable vital signs.Referrals were established for subspecialized follow-up in Dermatology.Neonatal vascular markers necessitate systematic multi-modal imaging to define anatomical extent and vascular dynamics.Early multidisciplinary collaboration enables safe conservative management, neurosurgical clearance, and structured outpatient surveillance across pediatric surgical and dermatological specialties.