Venous angiomas: an underestimated cause of intracranial hemorrhage

Cerebral venous angiomas are considered by many investigators as infrequent and incidental. Our experience, however, has been different. Since 1975, we have compiled a group of 21 patients with 23 venous angiomas. Nine patients (43%) presented with intracranial hemorrhage, and two in this group had recurrent hemorrhage. Surgical extirpation of the venous angioma was performed in all nine cases. An additional resection of a frontal venous angioma was performed in a woman with intractable seizures and headache. We experienced limited morbidity and no mortality. Although venous angiomas may be uncommon clinically, they have a significant potential for hemorrhage, and particularly, rehemorrhage if left untreated.