A patient with spinal cavernous vascular malformation: case report and review of the literature

Y. Zhang, Y.-W. Huang, J. Wu, Z.-P. Li, J. Feng

Department of Neurosurgery, Mianyang Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Mianyang, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China. jing_zp@sina.com

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• Neurosurgery

BACKGROUND: Spinal cavernous vascular malformation (SCM) is a rare type of spinal vascular malformation that can be easily misdiagnosed and overlooked, accounting for 5%-12% of all spinal vascular malformations. To date, surgical resection has been the gold standard for treating SCM, particularly in symptomatic patients. The risk of secondary hemorrhage in SCM is as high as 66%. Therefore, early, timely, and accurate diagnosis is crucial for patients with SCM.

CASE REPORT: In this report, we describe a 50-year-old female patient who was admitted to the hospital with recurrent bilateral lower extremity pain and numbness for 10 years, with recurring symptoms for 4 months. The patient’s symptoms initially improved after conservative treatment but then worsened again. An MRI revealed a spinal cord hemorrhage, and after surgical treatment, the patient’s symptoms improved significantly. A postoperative pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of SCM.

CONCLUSIONS: This case, along with a review of the literature, suggests that for SCM, early surgery using techniques such as microsurgery and intraoperative evoked potential monitoring may result in better outcomes for the patient.

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