title: The clinical features and surgical outcomes of patients with intramedullary spinal cord cavernous malformations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cavernous malformations (CMs) are not uncommon, but most of them are found to be located intracranially. Intramedullary CMs are rare, accounting for only 3-5% of identified total central nervous system lesions. The natural history of intramedullary CMs and their clinical features, including the risk of hemorrhage from a large series, still remains unclear and needs to be elucidated. We review our experience with surgically treated patients with intramedullary CMs and discuss the clinical features and surgical outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between March 2004 and March 2010, a total of 21 patients with intramedullary spinal cord CMs were surgically treated in a single institution. Data from 21 patients were retrospectively analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 13 females and 8 males ranging in age from 10 to 70 years (mean age 39.3 years). All patients harbored single symptomatic CM of the nervous system, and multiple lesions were not found. The annual retrospective hemorrhage rate was 2.18% per patient/year. All but one CM were completely resected, and the average follow-up period was 22.1 months (1-73 months). Ten of the 21 patients experienced an improvement in neurological state, 9 patients remained unchanged, and 2 patients experienced worsening of their conditions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Symptomatic intramedullary CMs should be surgically removed to avoid further neurological deterioration. Though there are some limitations due to the retrospective nature of this study and its small number of patients, the prognosis was found to be related to the preoperative neurological state and to the type of symptom presentation.
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Gwi Hyun
authors: GH
authors: Choi
authors: Keung Nyun
authors: KN
authors: Kim
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Lee
authors: Gyu Yeul
authors: GY
authors: Ji
authors: Jae Keun
authors: JK
authors: Oh
authors: Tae Yup
authors: TY
authors: Kim
authors: Do Heum
authors: DH
authors: Yoon
authors: Yoon
authors: Y
authors: Ha
authors: Seong
authors: S
authors: Yi
authors: Hyunchul
authors: H
authors: Shin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D020786:Hemangioma, Cavernous, Central Nervous System / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D020758:Spinal Cord Vascular Diseases / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult