Intracranial cavernomas: Analysis of 37 cases and literature review

AIMS: Thirty-seven patients with intracranial cavernomas managed in our department are retrospectively analyzed.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data of 37 patients with cavernoma who were admitted to our department between 1995 and 2003 were reviewed retrospectively. There were 30 male and 7 female patients with a median age of 26 years (range, 9-57 years). Four cases were treated surgically, 13 were treated by stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and the remainder were managed conservatively.
RESULTS: New hemorrhage or additional neurological deficits were not observed in the surgically treated cases, 12 patients who underwent SRS and the other patients who were followed up. One of the 13 patients treated by SRS, underwent microsurgery due to increased seizure frequency. One of the patients treated surgically died on the 11th postoperative day.
CONCLUSION: Clinical observation should be the choice of management for patients without new or progressive neurological deficits, without two or more hemorrhages and in patients where the seizures are controlled with drugs. Surgery is the first choice for the cavernomas located in the non-eloquent locations. Radiosurgery may be an alternative for patients having deep-seated and eloquent area located cavernomas and for patients not willing or suitable for surgery.