Abstract
Cavernous haemangiomas are benign vascular malformations that can locate in the central nervous system. The epidural spinal location remains unusual. Pregnancy is known to be a precipitating factor. The aim of this study is to review general aspects of these lesions and specific facts about their relationship to pregnancy. A 32-year-old full-term pregnant woman is managed during early labor for a progressive spinal cord compression syndrome. After delivery, exploration by a lumbar MRI found an epidural vascular dorsal mass. Surgical exploration and histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of epidural cavernous haemangioma. The patient achieved complete recovery after 1 month. Spinal cavernous haemangiomas are rare malformations. Specific mechanisms seems to be involved in their growth during pregnancy. Although clinical and radiological presentation are spectacular and misleading, the prognosis is generally good, and urgent surgical treatment during pregnancy is usually not indicated.
Highlights
Cavernous haemangiomas are benign vascular malformations that may locate in the central nervous system, especially in the brain, the cerebellum and the brainstem [1]
From 1929 to 2006, only 80 cases of epidural cavernous haemangiomas have been reported in the literature [3]
We illustrate the course of this pathology through the case of a 32-year-old woman, whose cavernous haemangioma broke out in the third trimester of pregnancy
Summary
Cavernous haemangiomas are benign vascular malformations that may locate in the central nervous system, especially in the brain, the cerebellum and the brainstem [1]. From 1929 to 2006, only 80 cases of epidural cavernous haemangiomas have been reported in the literature [3]. Pregnancy is acknowledged to be a precipitating factor of this type of malformation, but the exact mechanism is obscure [4]. We illustrate the course of this pathology through the case of a 32-year-old woman, whose cavernous haemangioma broke out in the third trimester of pregnancy. The aim of this report is to review general aspects of epidural cavernous haemangiomas and specific facts about their relationship to pregnancy. The patient reported weakness in her lower limbs gradually evolving for 2 months, confining her in wheelchair after 1 month of evolution. Histopathological examination of the mass confirmed its vascular origin, with many small cavernous vessels and thick hyalinised walls, without malignant cells (Figure 3). She achieved complete recovery after 1 month of follow-up
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