[Cerebellar venous anomalies with symptomatic vascular malformations]

Cerebral and cerebellar venous anomalies (previously known as venous angiomas) form the alternative venous drainage of the surrounding nervous tissue because of the un-development of the normal venous system. They are made up of veins with abnormal structure: thick walls, lumens dilated and of irregular calibre that converge radially towards a wide draining vein (caput medusae). They are thought to be a benign condition although they are sometimes associated with cerebellar hemorrhages. Authors report three patients with cerebellar venous anomalies associated either with pontine cavernoma, cerebellar arteriovenous malformation or cerebellar infarct. They illustrate that cerebellar venous anomalies are benign conditions, but their presence might be a marker for additional, pathogenic malformation. It might be difficult to detect the associated malformations even by sophisticated imaging methods, but their presence can modify the treatment options.