Cavernous hemangioma within the cavernous sinus: illustrative case
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Updated: May 6, 2026
Comprehensive Endovascular and Open Surgical Management of Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformations
Published on: October 20, 2017
Omer F Bozkurt1, Pelin Kuzucu1, Muammer M Sahin2
1Departments of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.
Background:
Cerebral cavernous hemangiomas (CHs) are the most common vascular malformations and can be found in many locations in the brain. The most common extra-axial locations are the intrasellar and parasellar regions. Both locations are rare for CH.
Observations:
A 41-year-old female who had experienced headaches for about a year presented to the authors' institution because of a mass located in the left cavernous sinus (CS). It was confirmed that it was not causing any loss in the visual field and that there was no pituitary irregularity. Surgery was planned with a preliminary diagnosis of CH. An endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) was undertaken with the otorhinolaryngology team. The dura mater was opened following excision of the back wall of the sphenoid sinus. A blue-purple vascular lesion was observed, filling the left CS. Gross-total resection (GTR) was achieved. In the literature, there were 10 cases in which GTR had been performed using the EEA.
Lessons:
Patients with CHs located in the sellar region present with various complaints. The preference for endoscopic surgery over cranial surgery for such lesions requires more comprehensive studies, but it is thought that this approach can reduce surgical complications and the time to discharge for the patient. https://thejns.org/doi/abs/10.3171/CASE24227.
