[Dilatation of the vein of Galen. Anatomoclinical forms and endovascular treatment apropos of 14 cases explored and/or treated between 1983 and 1986].

The authors report 14 cases of vein of Galen dilatation explored and/or treated between 1983 and 1986. Three anatomic types have been individualized: the vein of Galen arterio-venous malformation (AVM) (7 cases); the cerebral AVM with vein of Galen ectasia (6 cases); the varix of the vein of Galen without AV shunt (1 case). When an AVM is present the shunt is located either in the venous wall (vein of Galen AVM) or in the brain parenchyma; in the latter the AVM drains into a tributary of the vein of Galen (cerebral AVM with vein of Galen ectasia). However in all the 14 cases downstream to the draining vein, a venous (dural) anomaly could be demonstrated. This anomaly suggests the secondary nature of the dilatation proximal to a developmental obstacle. Clinically the vein of Galen AVM reveals early in neonates by cardiac complications; the other types are usually seen later following hydrocephalic or bleeding episodes. As far as therapeutic aspect, we can technically stabilize the hemodynamic problem, by occluding most if not all the shunts by endovascular approach, and make most of the neonates survive. However the quality of survivance and the future neurological development is impossible to predict yet. Nevertheless the short term follow-up is very encouraging. The combined per operative embolization through the vein must be exclusively reserved to vein of Galen AVM. The torcular approach is contraindicated in brain AVM with Vein of Galen ectasia. The vein of Galen varix do not require any type of morphological correction.