Angiographic Diagnosis of Teleangiectases with Cavernous Angioma of the Posterior Fossa

Abstract

Two cases of pontine vascular malformation with a characteristic venous angiographic appearance are reported. Both patients had a slowly progressive clinical course, normal spinal fluid, and evidence of a pontine mass. In the late venous phase, large abnormal vessels were seen to coverage towards the midline from each cerebellar hemisphere. The abnormal vessels were microscopically identified as teleangiectases in one of the cases. Both cases had pontine hematomas, originating from a cavernous angioma in one of them; in the other the exact origin of the bleeding could not be determined. It is concluded that in cases with a progressive pontine syndrome the characteristic appearance of the venous phase of angiography may indicate a bleeding pontine vascular malformation.