Association of Developmental Venous Anomalies with Demyelinating Lesions in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

We present 5 cases of demyelination in patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis that are closely associated with a developmental venous anomaly. Although the presence of a central vein is a known phenomenon with multiple sclerosis plaques, demyelination occurring around developmental venous anomalies is an underreported phenomenon. Tumefactive demyelination can cause a diagnostic dilemma because of its overlapping imaging findings with central nervous system neoplasm. The relationship of a tumefactive plaque with a central vein can be diagnostically useful, and we suggest that if such a lesion is closely associated with a developmental venous anomaly, an inflammatory or demyelinating etiology should be a leading consideration.