Cavernous hemangioma of the cavernous sinus misdiagnosed as a meningioma: a case report and MR imaging findings

Abstract

Cavernous hemangioma (CH) is a benign vascular malformation. Intracranial CH is generally localized as an intracranial–intraaxial and responsible for 5–13% of all intracranial vascular malformations. Intracranial–extraaxial CHs are rare rather than intracranial–intraaxial CHs. Clinical findings, imaging characteristics, and surgical approach of extraaxial CHs are rather different than intraaxial CHs. Diagnosing cavernous sinus CH preoperatively is very important, but its radiological differential diagnosis is quite difficult. In this study, we present magnetic resonance imaging findings of a 48-year-old male who was considered preoperatively to have meningioma but was diagnosed with cavernous sinus CH during surgery by pathological examination.