title: [Acute headache in a case of cerebral cavernomas].
abstract: We report a case of a 52-year-old female patient with known cerebral cavernomas and acute headache. A cranial CT scan excluded an intracranial bleeding. Cavernomas are rare vascular malformations of the venous blood system (synon. cavernous angiomas) with a slow blood flow. Clinical manifestation is presented between an age of 30-50 years with mostly unspecific neurological symptoms like headache, nausea, vomiting and dizziness, but also epileptic seizures and bleedings may occur. In general, therapy is symptomatic. In cases of seizures, however, anticonvulsive treatment is indicated. Operation can be discussed for peripheral localized cavernomas with bleeding or for refractory seizures. If antiplatelet or anticoagulation therapy is necessary due to other diseases (coronary heart disease, atrial fibrillation, thrombosis, pulmonary embolism), cerebral cavernomas are not considered as an absolute contraindication. The risk for an ischemic stroke under atrial fibrillation (5-20%), for example, is higher than the risk for bleeding of a cerebral cavernoma under anticoagulation therapy.
authors.affiliation: Notfallzentrum Medizin, Inselspital Bern.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schwarz
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nohl
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dang
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hohl
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Mattle
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: von Bredow
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schiemann
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology*; D006392:Hemangioma, Cavernous / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008579:Meningioma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013557:Switzerland; D018781:Tension-Type Headache / Q000175:diagnosis