Eagles Patterson diagnosed with brain AVM

The diagnosis is in on Eagles DT Mike Patterson, who collapsed before practice yesterday: he has a serious condition known as brain AVM that may require surgery or radiation to treat.

Brain AVM is a tangle of arteries and veins in the brain and can cause seizures, headaches and bleeding on the brain. Patterson does not have any bleeding on the brain at this time so the hope is that the doctors caught it early.

While the condition sounds scary, the fact that he had the seizure is actually a good thing. Without the seizure, the AVM would never have been diagnosed. Now Patterson can get all the treatment he needs and hopefully live a long, healthy life.

Obviously, at this time, there is no word on whether he can play football again, not that that even matters right now.