[Intracerebral cavernous angiomas]

8 cases of cavernous haemangiomas operated and histologically proven are presented. 5 patients (5/8) were admitted because of epileptic seizures, one patient (1/8) because of pure headache, another one because of a focal neurological defect and the last because of intracranial hypertension. Computed axial tomography is a sensitive procedure for detection of cavernomas. Of 7 cases examined by this technique, 7 (7/7) have shown a well circumscribed round or oval hyperdense nodule, with calcifications in 6/7 cases, a slight surrounding oedema in 3/7 cases and without mass effect, except if there is a visible hematoma at operation (2/8). After contrast administration, 5/7 malformations were enhanced and 2/7 displayed draining veins, a fact that we underline. The differential diagnosis includes a low grade calcified glioma, a thrombosed arterio-venous malformation, a venous angioma or an intracerebral hematoma. Surgical excision is the best treatment of these vascular malformations that bleed frequently, and improved all the patients in this series (8/8).