title: CNS cavernous haemangioma: "popcorn" in the brain and spinal cord.
abstract: Cavernous haemangiomas (CH) are relatively uncommon non-shunting vascular malformations of the central nervous system and can present with seizures or with neurological deficits due to haemorrhage. Radiologists can often suggest the diagnosis of CH based on characteristic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features, thus avoiding further invasive procedures such as digital subtraction angiography or surgical biopsy. Although typical MRI appearance combined with the presence of multiple focal low signal lesions on T2*-weighted images or the presence of one or more developmental venous anomaly within the brain can improve the diagnostic confidence, serial imaging studies are often required if a solitary CH presents at a time when the imaging appearances had not yet matured to the typical "popcorn" appearance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore.
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Hegde
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mohan
authors.forename: C C T
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lim
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D020786:Hemangioma, Cavernous, Central Nervous System / Q000150:complications / Q000151:congenital / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D013116:Spinal Cord