Objective:To assess the diagnostic accuracy and clinical application of three-dimensional(3-D) 16-slice CT angiography(CTA) in detecting cerebral arteriovenous malformations(AVM). Methods:70 cases suspected cerebral AVM received CT scan and digital subtraction angiography(DSA),and the results were compared retrospectively. CT posterior reconstructions were carried out by using volume rendering(VR),maximum intensity projection(MIP) and shaded-surface display(SSD). Results:17 of 70 patients had cerebral AVM,24 patients had cerebral aneurysms,three patients had moyamoya disease,and 26 patients were negative. In 17 AVM patients,all patients found malformated vessel masses,16 patients clearly displayed feeding arteries and 15 patients demonstrated draining veins in 3-D 16-slice CTA images. Conclusion:16-slice CTA has a very high accuracy of detecting AVM. 16-slice CTA is sensitive enough to replace conventional DSA in the triage,diagnosis,and treatment planning in patients with cerebral AVM.