Angiographically occult vascular malformations causing intracranial hemorrhage

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Neurosurgery
• Radiology

Background:

• Vascular malformations can cause intracranial hemorrhage.
• Angiography may fail to detect certain vascular lesions.

Observation:

• Five patients presented with intracerebral or intracerebellar hemorrhages.
• Initial angiographic findings were inconclusive for vascular abnormalities.
• Computed tomography (CT) scans indicated cryptic vascular lesions and hemorrhage in some patients.

Findings:

• Histological examination confirmed venous malformations in 3 patients and arteriovenous malformations in 2 patients.
• The lesions were located in the cerebellum, left frontal region, and right putaminal region.
• Surgical treatment was successful in all cases.

Implications:

• Highlights the diagnostic challenge of angiographically occult vascular malformations.
• Emphasizes the utility of CT scanning in identifying these lesions.
• Demonstrates the efficacy of surgical management for these types of brain hemorrhages.