[Diagnosis and surgical treatment of brain-stem vascular malformations].

OBJECTIVE

To study the various aspects of the brain-stem vascular malformations, including the histopathology, clinical presentation, neuroimaging, techniques of surgical operation.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of 100 patients with 105 brain-stem vascular malformations had underwent microsurgery from 1987 to 1997 in the institute.

RESULTS

Most brain-stem vascular malformations are cavernoma, some of them are not easily differentiated from telangiectasis. Meanwhile, they could also associate with venous malformation. In our group, 67% patients suffered from hemorrhage more than one time. The average number of bleeding in female is higher than in male's. There was no operative mortality. The outcome was improved and stable in 65% patients. Ninety-two patients have followed-up half a year to 11 years. Rebleeding after operation occurred in 4% cases.

CONCLUSIONS

Active microsurgery should be adopted carefully for the patients with symptomatic brain-stem vascular malformations, while those with asymptomatic lesions need long-term clinical observations and neuroimaging follow-up.