Investig Magn Reson Imaging.  2017 Mar;21(1):34-37. 10.13104/imri.2017.21.1.34.

A Case of Widespread Cavernous Malformations of the Central Nervous System Associated with Acute Neurologic Deficit

• Noh KC
• Chung SE
• Lee D

• KMID: 2376267
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.13104/imri.2017.21.1.34

Abstract

A 45-year-old female visited our clinic due to sudden right leg weakness and sensory loss. Brain and spinal cord magnetic resonance imaging showed widespread cavernous malformations. Cavernous malformation in L1 spine area was accompanied by a subacute stage hematoma with perilesional edema. Sensory loss subsided after corticosteroid therapy. Usually, neurologic deficit by spinal cavernous malformation appears more chronically in the adults compared to children. Treatment options are difficult to establish in a case with multiple cavernous malformations. Identifying hemorrhagic lesions by extensive neuroimaging evaluation could be helpful to select the treatment target for cavernous malformation.

Keyword

Cavernous malformations; Hemorrhage; Acute neurologic deficit

MeSH Terms

Adult
Brain
Central Nervous System*
Child
Edema
Female
Hematoma
Hemorrhage
Humans
Leg
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Middle Aged
Neuroimaging
Neurologic Manifestations*
Spinal Cord
Spine

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Gradient echo imaging of the brain shows multiple cavernous malformations in both cerebral hemispheres, brain stem and cerebellum (a). Spinal cord MRI shows a subacute hemorrhage in the spinal cord at the T12-L1 level (white arrow) and underlying cavernous malformations associated with surrounding edema of the spinal cord at the T9-L1 level. Multiple cavernous malformations are observed at C5, T1-2 and T11-12 spine levels (b: T2 weighted image, c: T1 weighted image). Axial image of L1 spine level shows a hematoma in the right posterior column (d, white arrow).

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