title: Intracranial cavernous malformation in children: a single-centered experience with 30 consecutive cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the clinical presentation and treatment outcome of pediatric intracranial cavernous malformation (CM) in a single-centered institution.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical data review of 30 patients under 18 years-old who had undergone surgery for cavernous malformation from January 1993 to December 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Study Group included 18 males and 12 females (mean age: 8.7 years-old). Symptoms at presentation were seizures (16/30, 53.3%), headache (15/30, 50.0%), and focal neurological deficits (11/30, 36.6%). Multiple cavernous malformations were found in 5/30 (16.6%). According to location, patients were classified in groups: (G1) brain-steam in 5/30 (16.6%), (G2) cerebellum in 2/30 (6.6%), (G3) supratentorial associated with seizures in 16/30 (53.3%), and (G4) supratentorial without seizures in 7/30 (23.3%). Surgical resection was performed in 26 out of 30 (86.6%) patients. The mean follow-up period was 4.1 years. Of 15 children followed-up with preoperative seizures, all were rendered seizure-free after surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For symptomatic solitary cavernous malformation, the treatment of choice is complete microsurgical excision preceded by careful anatomical and functional evaluation. For multiple cavernous malformation or asymptomatic patients, the treatment modalities must be cautiously considered.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery of the Department of Surgery and Anatomy, University Hospital of Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto SP, Brazil. amato@neurocirurgia.com
authors.forename: Marcelo Campos Moraes
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Amato
authors.forename: João Flávio Gurjão
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Madureira
authors.forename: Ricardo Santos de
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Oliveira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016543:Central Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D020786:Hemangioma, Cavernous, Central Nervous System / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome