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Brainstem Cavernous Malformations

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Contemporary Skull Base Surgery

Abstract

Cavernous malformations (CMs) are a rare cerebrovascular anomaly that may arise from different regions of the central nervous system. Brainstem CMs (BSCMs) have unique clinical manifestations that require tailored surgical management, unlike CMs in the cerebrum. Although BSCMs account for 20% of all intracranial CMs, they make up a higher proportion of symptomatic CMs because of their location. Since the 1980s, experienced neurosurgeons in high-volume neurosurgery centers have transformed BSCMs from inoperable lesions to operable ones with favorable outcomes. The development of advanced microneurosurgery techniques and improvements in clinical decision-making have also influenced the surgical management of BSCMs.

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Abbreviations

BSCM:

brainstem cavernous malformation

CM:

cavernous malformation

DVA:

developmental venous anomaly

MCP:

middle cerebellar peduncle

MRI:

magnetic resonance imaging

SCIT:

supracerebellar infratentorial

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Acknowledgments

We thank the staff of Neuroscience Publications at Barrow Neurological Institute for assistance with manuscript preparation.

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The authors have no personal or institutional interest with regard to the authorship or publication of this manuscript.

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This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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All authors were involved in the design and conception of this manuscript.

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Correspondence to Michael T. Lawton .

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Srinivasan, V.M., Catapano, J.S., Reddy, V.P., Lawton, M.T. (2022). Brainstem Cavernous Malformations. In: Youssef, A.S. (eds) Contemporary Skull Base Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-99321-4_42

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-99321-4_42

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