 The symptoms produced by AVMs in the liver depend on the type of abnormal connection that they form between blood vessels . If the connection is between arteries and veins , a large amount of blood bypasses the body 's organs , for which the heart compensates by increasing the cardiac output . Eventually congestive cardiac failure develops ( " high @-@ output cardiac failure " ) , with breathlessness and leg swelling among other problems . If the AVM creates a connection between the portal vein and the blood vessels of the liver , the result may be portal hypertension ( increased portal vein pressure ) , in which collateral blood vessels form in the esophagus ( esophageal varices ) , which may bleed violently ; furthermore , the increased pressure may give rise to fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity ( ascites ) . If the flow in the AVM is in the other direction , portal venous blood flows directly into the veins rather than running through the liver ; this may lead to hepatic encephalopathy ( confusion due to portal waste products irritating the brain ) . Rarely , the bile ducts are deprived of blood , leading to severe cholangitis ( inflammation of the bile ducts ) . Liver AVMs are detectable in over 70 % of people with HHT , but only 10 % experience problems as a result . 
