Al Sada Fatima, Khan Muhammad Mohsin, Iqbal Javeed, Mohammed Kazim, Ayyad Ali
Neurosurgery, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, QAT.
Cureus. 2024 Jan 3;16(1):e51597. doi: 10.7759/cureus.51597. eCollection 2024 Jan.
Cavernous malformations (CMs) are acquired vascular abnormalities of the central nervous system that are typically asymptomatic. Clinically symptomatic lesions may present with seizures, intracerebral hemorrhage, or focal neurological deficits. Very rarely, CMs have been described as the cause of subarachnoid hemorrhage. We report a case of a previously healthy 58-year-old man who presented with acute onset of severe headache associated with vomiting. Head computed tomography (CT) scan showed subarachnoid hemorrhage with intraventricular extension. Subsequent CT angiography (CTA) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) studies showed no evidence of vascular abnormalities. The patient was initially managed conservatively but later required neurosurgical and radiological interventions due to a complicated hospital course and worsening clinical condition. During surgery, an incidental mass was found in the temporal lobe, and subsequent histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of cavernoma, which was likely the underlying cause of the subarachnoid hemorrhage. This report highlights the importance of considering CMs in the differential diagnoses of subarachnoid hemorrhage, especially in the absence of informative results from CTA and DSA studies. Timely detection and management of CMs may positively impact the clinical outcome, leading to reduced morbidity and mortality rates.
海绵状血管畸形(CMs)是中枢神经系统后天获得性血管异常,通常无症状。有临床症状的病变可能表现为癫痫发作、脑出血或局灶性神经功能缺损。极罕见情况下,CMs被描述为蛛网膜下腔出血的病因。我们报告一例58岁既往健康男性,其急性起病,伴有严重头痛及呕吐。头颅计算机断层扫描(CT)显示蛛网膜下腔出血并向脑室内扩展。随后的CT血管造影(CTA)和数字减影血管造影(DSA)检查未发现血管异常证据。患者最初接受保守治疗,但由于病程复杂且临床状况恶化,后来需要神经外科和放射学干预。手术期间,在颞叶发现一个意外肿块,随后的组织病理学检查确诊为海绵状血管瘤,这很可能是蛛网膜下腔出血的潜在病因。本报告强调了在蛛网膜下腔出血的鉴别诊断中考虑CMs的重要性,尤其是在CTA和DSA检查结果无诊断价值时。及时检测和处理CMs可能对临床结局产生积极影响,降低发病率和死亡率。