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Neuroimaging of Cavernous Malformations

  • Imaging (L Mechtler, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) are common vascular abnormalities often discovered on imaging as an incidental finding. The most common clinical presentations of CCMs include seizure, headache, focal neurological deficits, and intracranial hemorrhage. This article discusses the most recent guidelines including imaging diagnostic criteria and radiographic standards of CCMs and reviews the utility of currently available imaging techniques.

Recent Findings

Gradient echo T2*-weighted imaging and susceptibility-weighted imaging are the recommended imaging protocols for evaluation of suspected CCMs. Diffusion tensor imaging-based tractography provides visualization of the eloquent white matter tracks in the brain. This imaging is increasingly used in clinical practice to assist in selecting the optimal surgical approach, especially for brainstem lesions. Quantitative susceptibility mapping and dynamic contrast-enhanced quantitative perfusion are presently considered experimental. Its proposed value might prove helpful in the future to monitor disease activity and response to treatments.

Summary

The choice of imaging modality of CCMs depends on the goals the clinician expects to achieve, such as establishing the initial diagnosis, follow-up and monitoring disease activity, preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative evaluation, or research and experimental work on patients with CCM.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, University of South Florida, 2 Tampa General Circle, 7th floor, Tampa, FL, 33606, USA

    Maxim Mokin, Siviero Agazzi & Christopher T. Primiani

  2. Department of Radiology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Lowell Dawson

Authors
  1. Maxim Mokin
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  2. Siviero Agazzi
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  3. Lowell Dawson
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  4. Christopher T. Primiani
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maxim Mokin.

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Conflict of Interest

Drs. Mokin is a consultant for Claret Medical Inc. and reports personal fees outside of the submitted work.

Dr. Agazzi, Dr. Dawson, and Dr. Primiani declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

Additional information

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Imaging

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Mokin, M., Agazzi, S., Dawson, L. et al. Neuroimaging of Cavernous Malformations. Curr Pain Headache Rep 21, 47 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-017-0649-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-017-0649-1

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