Spinal cavernous angioma complicated by hemorrhage: susceptibility-weighted imaging findings.

1MD, Department of Radiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro RJ, Brazil; 2MD, Ph.D, Department of Radiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro RJ, Brazil. Correspondence: Diogo Goulart Corrêa; Rua Rodolpho Paulo Rocco 255 / Cidade Universitária / Ilha do Fundão; 21941-913 Rio de Janeiro RJ Brasil; E-mail: [email protected] Conflict of interest: There is no conflict of interest to declare. Received 27 March 2013; Received in final form 26 April 2013; Accepted 03 May 2013. A 16-year-old boy presented with posterior cervical pain radiating to the right upper limb. Cervical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed an intramedullary cavernous angioma (CA) in the level of C2. Susceptibility-weighted ima ging (SWI) showed longitudinal hypointensity from the bulb to the level of T1, which was suggestive of a longitudinal fiber-dissecting hemorrhage (Figure). Intramedullary CAs are associated with an increased risk of hemorrhage. SWI is optimized for detection of magnetic susceptibility effects of blood products1. SWI is more sensitive for detection of CAs in the brain2, but the usefulness of SWI in cases of spinal CAs is not known.