Cervical intramedullary cavernous angioma: A Case Report

We report the case of a 46 year old man in whom a cervical (C1~C2) intramedullary cavernous angioma was diagnosed by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging after he presented with symptoms sensory disturbance. The patient eventually underwent successful complete surgical excision of the angioma and now has no major neurological defects. Although cavernous angiomas are vascular malformations that can occur in any region of the central nervous system, those of the spinal cord have been considered rare. Recent advances in diagnostic imaging modalities such as MR imaging have resulted in more numerous diagnoses of spinal intramedullary cavernous angiomas. Surgery should be considered for patients with spinal intramedullary cavernous angiomas at the time of diagnosis, since these lesions lead to progressive neurological deterioration due to repeated hemorrhages and can be completely excised using microneurosurgical techniques.