Intracranial cavernous angioma.

Cavernous angiomas are a rare but important clinical entity because of their potential curability. Three patients who had intracranial cavernous angiomas confirmed at surgery are presented. Preoperative recognition is greatly aided by a tendency to calcify, as identified both by skull films and more sensitively by computed tomography. A well demarcated collection of rounded densities of CT scanning, showing mild contrast enhancement and no significant mass effect, should suggest the possibility of cavernous angioma. Conventional angiography characteristically reveals a hypovascular appearance without abnormal arterial feeding vessels. On films of high technical quality, a subtle vascular stain, possibly associated with a few large draining veins, may be detected. There is usually no mass effect unless there has been a previous episode of hemorrhage. Cavernous angiomas may manifest a pronounced increase in activity on radionuclide brain scanning.