The Associated Venous Anomalies Variant and Adjacent Brain Function on Iron Sensitive Image Indicate Surgical Risk of Cavernous Malformation

The cavernous malformations (CMs) associated with venous anomalies (VAs) are now being described with increasing frequency. Assessment of the associated VAs is overlooked in surgical management of the CM. The clinical profiles of CMs with VAs were reviewed to investigate the value of T2* gradient echo (GRE)/susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) in surgical risk evaluation. Twenty-six patients with symptomatic CMs associated with VAs between 2008 and 2013 were identified. Demographic, clinical, and radiological data were reviewed and functional outcomes were assessed using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). The T2* GRE/SWI could allow more accurate evaluation of the boundary and drainage vicinity of VAs than contrast-enhanced images (6 vs. 2 patients with VAs on the eloquent region). Patients with VAs adjacent to eloquent brain showed poorer outcomes than those who had VAs in non-eloquent areas (P = 0.005), while the CMs adjacent to eloquent brain did not correlated with poor outcomes (P = 0.15). Type I and III variants of VAs were also significantly associated with poor outcomes, compared with type II variant (P = 0.002). Careful evaluation of VAs variant type and the association between VAs and eloquent brain is helpful for the management of CMs associated with VAs. We recommend T2* GRE/SWI in patients with CMs to assess the associated VAs. The evaluation of VA drainage vicinity on T2* GRE/SWI would be more useful for designing treatment strategies and risk stratification.