[Cavernous angioma of the cervical spinal cord]

A 34-year old man gradually developed a paraparesis which spontaneously regressed within a few months. One year later, the patient suffered from acute torticollis immediately followed by flaccid tetraparesis with pyramidal signs, dissociated sensory deficit and acute retention of urine. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed, in the cervical cord, a vascular malformation that was not opacified at angiography. The lesion, a cavernous angioma, was surgically removed, leading to recovery. So far, thirty five cases of spinal cord angioma have been published, most of them since the advent of MRI which makes it possible to determine the exact incidence of this lesion, as well as its signs, symptoms and course.