Operative Findings in Spinal Angiomas

Abstract

The occurrence of vascular malformations within the spinal cord and its coverings is not unusual in our biopsy material. This demonstration comprises a number of representative cases from the neurosurgical clinic of the University of Giessen. The usual arteriovenous malformation of the spinal cord is a solitary tortuous vascular mass. Usually, the larger abnormal vessels are situated in the posterior leptomeninges. The malformation may be restricted to the subarachnoid space, but more commonly it invades and alters the dorsal segments of the cord. The feeding arteries become dilated and hypertrophic as a result of locally increased blood flow.