Cerebrovascular malformations in adults: What mode of revelation? About 53 cases

Abstract

Cerebrovascular malformations include a broad spectrum of intracranial blood vessel disorders, involving the arterial wall, capillary bed, venous and lymphatic systems. Their main associated risks are intracerebral hemorrhage, seizures and focal neurological deficits. We carried out a retroprospective study over a period of 45 months (3 years and 9 months), ranging from April 01, 2018 to December 31, 2021; from the files of patients referred for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or CT scan cerebral exploration in the context of neurological symptomatology or as part of an assessment carried out for other medical or surgical purposes, with as judgment criterion the demonstration of a cerebrovascular malformation. We collected fifty-three (53) patients, with an average age of 47 years old and as extremes ages 18 years old and 70 years old. We noted a female predominance with a sex ratio of 1.7 in favor of female sex. The most of patients were explored with MRI in 85% of cases. Our patient history was dominated by arterial hypertension in 20% of cases and hemorragic stroke in 12% of cases. The symptomatology presented by the patients was mainly represented by headache and epileptic seizures in 20% of cases each, dizziness in 15% of cases. The cerebrovascular malformations were dominated by cavernomas in 54% of cases (complicated of bleeding in 27% of cases). Other cerebrovascular malformations were : aneurysm: 19%, arteriovenous malformations: 15% and developmental venous abnormalities in 12% of cases. MRI and CT scans are very important radiological modalities for diagnosing malformative cerebral vascular abnormalities. Their discovery is more often made during a radiological assessment motivated by another cause.