title: Cavernous angiomas of the anterior visual pathways.
abstract: Three patients with cavernomas of the optic nerve, chiasm, or optic tract are presented. All suffered progressive visual loss due to local hemorrhage and the space-occupying effects of the vascular malformation. Computed tomography scans revealed small lesions with mild contrast enhancement in the suprasellar and parasellar cisterns, whereas angiography was unremarkable. Magnetic resonance imaging was helpful in our cases both for diagnosis and for planning surgical approach, showing typical signs of cavernomas as confirmed by subsequent surgery and histological examination. The clinical and intraoperative findings are presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Medical School, University of Tübingen, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hassler
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zentner
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wilhelm
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003390:Cranial Nerve Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009897:Optic Chiasm / Q000473:pathology; D009901:Optic Nerve Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D013477:Superior Colliculi / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014794:Visual Fields; D014795:Visual Pathways