title: [Cavernous malformations: surgical management in Belo Horizonte Santa Casa Hospital].
abstract: The better understanding of the natural history of the cavernous malformations and the improvement of diagnostic methods and of microsurgical techniques have made the management of cavernous malformations possible through the conservative treatment, radiosurgery, and microsurgical resection. We present 33 cases operated at our service at Santa Casa Hospital, Belo Horizonte, from 1992 to 2001. Cortical and subcortical cavernomas manifested by epilepsy (57.5%) or mainly by hemorrhage (15.1%) were surgically approached. The deep lesions (basal ganglia, thalamus and brain steam) represented 27.7% of our cases. They should only be operated when located near the pial or ependimary surface. The resection of spinal cord lesions (5.5%) and of deep brain lesions is also recommended when they present progressive focal deficit (13.8%) or recurrent episodes of hemorrhage (13.8%). Small and deep seated cavernomas that do not present bleeding must be conservatively treated. There has been no evident favourable result related to radiosurgery so far.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas de Minas Gerais, Santa Casa de Belo Horizonte, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. penholate@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Marcello Penholate
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Faria
authors.forename: Walter José
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Fagundes-Pereyra
authors.forename: Gervásio Teles Cardoso de
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Atos Alves de
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Sousa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D020786:Hemangioma, Cavernous, Central Nervous System / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures; D012189:Retrospective Studies