[Cervicofacial superficial venous malformations and developmental abnormalities of the cerebral venous system].
BACKGROUND
Cerebral developmental venous anomalies (DVA) are uncommon trajectories of the brain venous drainage. They must be differentiated from cavernomas. Patients with head-and-neck venous malformations can have DVA in their brain, a finding much more frequent than in general population.


METHODS
Three patients had DVA in their brain; this was an incidental discovery when investigating their facial or cervical superficial venous anomalies using arteriography, CT, MRI and MRA.


CONCLUSIONS
DVA are uncommon variations of the brain venous system. In a vast majority of patients, this anatomical variant appears to be tolerated well, in contrast to cerebral cavernoma that can cause intracranial hemorrhage and neurologic symptoms. We want to stress the fact that the frequency of DVA occurring in patients with cervicofacial VM is much higher than in general population. This pattern is often a fortuitous finding in the work-up of these patients and it must be known in order to stop confusing it with true cerebral venous "angioma": the carvernoma.
Enjolras
O
O
Service de Dermatologie, Hôpital Cochin, Paris.
Boukobza
M
M
Guichard
J P
JP
Gelbert
F
F
Merland
J J
JJ
D000328:Adult; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D002550:Cerebral Veins / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002648:Child; D005145:Face; D005146:Facial Asymmetry / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D009333:Neck; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Malformations veineuses superficielles cervicofaciales et anomalies de développement du système veineux cérébral.