Congenital cavernous angioma exhibits a progressive decrease in size after birth.
METHODS
We report a case of congenital intracranial cavernous angioma, which was initially found at a gestational age of 34 weeks in utero as a mass lesion associated with hydrocephalus. After birth, the patient was treated for hydrocephalus first by external drainage and then by ventricular peritoneal shunt. The natural course of the mass lesion was observed until the age of 8 months when the histopathological diagnosis confirmed the cavernous angioma after tissue was obtained by surgery. CT scans repeated monthly during this period demonstrated that the angioma continuously decreased in size. There was no evidence of hemorrhage in the angioma on serial CT scans. The histopathology revealed thrombosis of cavernous vessels with hyaloid changes in the angioma.


CONCLUSIONS
The mechanisms of the decreasing size of the cavernous angioma have often been discussed in relation to spontaneous hemorrhages and resolution. The present case suggests a mechanism in which the spontaneous formation of a thrombus might be the dominant factor for the decrease in size. Thrombus formation may result from low perfusion due to the large size of the angioma.
Hayashi
Shigeto
S
Department of Neurosurgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, 650-0017, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Japan.
Kondoh
Takeshi
T
Morishita
Akitsugu
A
Sasayama
Takashi
T
Sanabria
Elio A Marin
EA
Kohmura
Eiji
E
D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000151:congenital* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D020863:Central Nervous System Cysts / Q000151:congenital / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D020786:Hemangioma, Cavernous, Central Nervous System / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D012688:Septum Pellucidum / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013786:Thalamic Diseases / Q000151:congenital* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D017287:Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt