Cerebral venous angiomas. MR imaging at 1.5 tesla

Sixteen cases of cerebral venous angiomas, seven cerebellar and nine supratentorial were imaged by magnetic resonance, using a T1 sequence and a motion compensated T2 sequence. The transcerebral draining vein of the lesion could be identified in thirteen out of sixteen patients. On T1-weighted images all the lesions were hypointense. On T2-weighted images, five lesions were hypointense, and eleven were hyperintense consistent with slow flow. In three cases the lesion was hemorrhagic. Three lesions with hypointense aspect on T1 and hyperintense aspect on T2-weighted images were only seen in retrospect, due to partial volume averaging in two and concomitant chronic hemorrhage in one. Before contrast, the peripheral dilated medullary veins could only be identified in five cases. On T2-weighted images, in three of these lesions the signal was higher than in the draining veins, pointing to a slower flow. After intravenous administration of Gadolinium, performed in twelve patients, the main transcerebral draining vein as well as the peripheral medullary veins could be well identified in all patients.