Open AccessAN UNUSUAL CASE OF CEREBELLAR VENOUS ANGIOMA ASSOCIATED WITH TEMPORAL CAVERNOMA – PATHOPHYSIOLOGICAL, DIAGNOSTIC, AND SURGICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Author(s) -
Tabita Larisa Caza,
Ioana Andreea Dărămuș,
B. C. Dumitrescu,
Vasile Ciubotaru,
Ligia Gabriela Tătăranu
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of surgical sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2457-5364
pISSN - 2360-3038
DOI - 10.33695/jss.v2i4.136
Subject(s) - medicine , cerebellar hemisphere , angioma , pathognomonic , radiology , neuroradiology , hemangioma , arteriovenous malformation , lesion , vascular malformation , venous malformation , magnetic resonance imaging , vascular disease , neurology , surgery , pathology , disease , psychiatry
Cerebral vascular malformations are hamartomas, classified into four distinct groups:arteriovenous malformations, cavernous malformations, capillary telangiectasias, anddevelopmental venous anomalies. These abnormal vascular entities have distinct histopathological, radiological, and clinical features, which make them different from one another. We report a case of a 37-year-old man, who presented with headaches, generalized grand mal seizures, and an episode of loss of consciousness, due to a left temporal cavernoma. Gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted MR images showed a left temporal “popcorn-like” lesion, with heterogeneousenhancement, measuring 15/17/18 mm, suggestive of a cavernoma (angiographically occultmalformation). The T2-weighted MRI showed a right cerebellar venous plexus, draining into alarger central vein and the angiogram revealed the pathognomonic caput medusae aspect of avenous angioma. Microsurgical resection of the left temporal cavernous malformation wasperformed using a left frontal temporal approach. The venous angioma was spared to avoid venousinfarction and cerebral edema with devastating vital consequences. The intra- and postoperativecourses were uneventful with total recovery. The seizures remitted under anticonvulsant therapy,and the postoperative computer tomography investigation were within normal limits. The venous angioma was situated in the right cerebellar hemisphere, rather than near the cavernoma, its location making this the particular aspect of this case.