Spinal cavernous malformations: a report of 5 cases

BackgroundThis is a report of 5 patients treated surgically for SCMs.MethodsDuring the period from 1998 to 2003, 5 patients (4 male and 1 female) harboring SCMs were treated surgically (all of them underwent complete surgical removal). Patients' ages ranged between 22 and 57 years (mean age, 46 years). Median duration of symptoms was 31 months (1-120 months). Diagnosis was made by MRI scan showing lesions in length of 1 to 6 cm in diameter (mean length, 2.9 cm). Three lesions were found in the cervical, one in the upper dorsal, and one in the lower dorsal cord. One of them was located extradurally, one of them intradural extramedullary, and 3 of them intramedullary.ResultsAn MRI examination showing total removal was performed postoperatively in each patient (the postoperative MRI examinations revealed total removal in all cases). The follow-up period ranged from 1 to 4 years (mean, 27 months). All patients showed clinical improvement, with 3 of them worsening early in the postoperative period but doing better in long-term follow-up (although 3 of 5 patients had worse neurological examinations in the early postoperative period, all recovered in long-term follow-up and clinically improved relative to preoperative status).ConclusionNeurological status of the patients can worsen in the early postoperative period, causing intramedullary operation; but it usually improves relative to preoperative status. Surgical removal seems to be a safe and a promising way of treatment of symptomatic SCMs.