Intracranial venous malformations
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Intracranial venous malformations are abnormally enlarged blood veins in the brain. They are often referred to as vascular or cerebral malformations. These larger veins are unlikely to result in symptoms or have an impact on how the veins function.
An intracranial venous malformation may exist in certain persons but never be recognized or show any symptoms. When the patient undergoes a brain imaging exam for another condition, they may occasionally be discovered by accident.
Treatment for intracranial venous abnormalities is typically not necessary.
Symptoms
Intracranial venous malformations frequently go undetected, when they occur, they can cause the following symptoms:
- Headaches
- Seizures
- Brain hemorrhage
- Cognitive problem
- Depression or anxiety
Cause
It is uncertain what causes cerebral venous formations, but they could be hereditary and present at birth. Both men and women can develop these forms to the same extent.
Diagnosis
The healthcare provider may find intracranial venous malformations when looking for other neurological problems even if the patient may not be aware of any symptoms.
To find further neurological problems, the patient might undergo these following procedures:
- CT scan: CT scan produces a series of X-rays that provide highly detailed cross-sectional images of the brain and blood arteries. In order to more thoroughly examine the brain tissue or blood vessels (CT angiography or CT venogram), contrasts may occasionally be injected into a vein.
- MRI: The brain and blood vessels are visualized in 3D detail by magnetic and radio waves. A contrast dye may occasionally be injected into a vein to examine the blood vessels and the brain tissue in a different way.
- MRA: The arteries are the subject of magnetic resonance angiography, another kind of MRI scan. The blood flow via the brain’s blood arteries can be seen on an MRA.
- MRV: An MRI technique that focuses on the veins is called a magnetic resonance venogram.
Treatment
Due to a rare occurrence of symptoms, healthcare provider typically do not treat intracranial venous malformations. A medicine may be prescribed by the healthcare provider if the patient is experiencing unrelated symptoms like headaches.
Seizures and brain bleeding (brain hemorrhage) are rare in persons with intracranial venous malformations. These can occur along with venous malformations and are typically brought on by other vascular malformations. Medication is often used by healthcare providers to treat seizures.
While some hemorrhages can only be treated surgically, many hemorrhages can be managed with medical care and hospital supervision.
