[Diagnosis and surgical treatment of brain-stem vascular malformations].
OBJECTIVE
To study the various aspects of the brain-stem vascular malformations, including the histopathology, clinical presentation, neuroimaging, techniques of surgical operation.


METHODS
A retrospective analysis of 100 patients with 105 brain-stem vascular malformations had underwent microsurgery from 1987 to 1997 in the institute.


RESULTS
Most brain-stem vascular malformations are cavernoma, some of them are not easily differentiated from telangiectasis. Meanwhile, they could also associate with venous malformation. In our group, 67% patients suffered from hemorrhage more than one time. The average number of bleeding in female is higher than in male's. There was no operative mortality. The outcome was improved and stable in 65% patients. Ninety-two patients have followed-up half a year to 11 years. Rebleeding after operation occurred in 4% cases.


CONCLUSIONS
Active microsurgery should be adopted carefully for the patients with symptomatic brain-stem vascular malformations, while those with asymptomatic lesions need long-term clinical observations and neuroimaging follow-up.
Wang
C
C
Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Neuroscience, CAMS and PUMC, Beijing 100050.
Liu
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000098:blood supply*; D016543:Central Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D020785:Central Nervous System Vascular Malformations / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D020786:Hemangioma, Cavernous, Central Nervous System / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies