CT and color Doppler diagnosis of the vein of Galen malformations with hydrocephalus: a case series report of rare intracranial vascular malformations

Abstract

Arteriovenous malformations are uncommonly occurring congenital conditions and great vein of Galen malformations are rare form of arteriovenous malformations. Aneurysmal dilatation of the median prosencephalic vein of Markowski is responsible for the clinical presentation of patients and most children manifest the disease during infancy. We present three cases of great vein of Galen malformations, presenting to Tikur Anbessa hospital, one with thrombosis and communicating hydrocephalus; the other two with obstructive hydrocephalus and no thrombosis. All patients have markedly dilated intracranial veins with vascular enhancement pattern in venous phase of brain CT scan. Physicians should be aware of different radiological presentations of vein of Galen malformations and different clinical presentation of these cases. Very rarely the vein of Galen malformation can have thromboses and obliteration of itself The clinicians should also know that CT scan and MRI are the corner stones for the diagnosis of vein of Galen malformations but more fetuses are diagnosed with VGM in the uterus by ultrasound during ANC.