Cavernous angioma of the cerebellum--case report

Computed tomography (CT) allows earlier diagnosis of intracranial cavernous angioma than was formerly possible. However, cerebellar lesions are uncommon. Cerebellar cavernous angioma with hemorrhage was diagnosed in a 54-year-old male who suddenly developed nausea and vomiting, then declined over the following week and developed ataxia and nystagmus. Blood pressure was normal, and he had no history of hypertension or hemorrhagic diathesis. Precontrast CT revealed an irregularly-shaped, hyperdense lesion in the left cerebellum and an associated hematoma. Injection of contrast medium did not significantly enhance the lesion. Vertebral angiography demonstrated only an avascular mass in the cerebellum. A semiliquid hematoma was evacuated and a vascular nodule was removed from the posterior wall of the hematoma cavity. The histopathological diagnosis was cavernous angioma. Nine sufficiently documented reports of cerebellar cavernous angioma are reviewed and the clinical and radiological features of these lesions are discussed.