Spinal epidural cavernous angioma: two case reports and review of the literature

Abstract

Cavernous angiomas are vascular malformations that occur most frequently in the supratentorial area of the central nervous system (CNS). Spinal epidural occurrence is rare. This article describes 2 cases of spinal epidural cavernous angioma. The lesions were hypo- to isointense on T1-weighted magnetic resonance images (MRIs) and hyperintense on T2-weighted images. Both were enhanced homogenously with intravenous contrast. Total resection was achieved in both cases, and the lesions were histopathologically diagnosed as cavernous angiomas. The patients' symptoms regressed postsurgery. Although the MRI features of cavernous angiomas are well known, spinal epidural occurrence is rare and many differential diagnoses have similar clinical and imaging findings. It is important to definitively diagnose these lesions prior to surgery in order to prevent possible intraoperative complications such as massive bleeding and to maximize chances for complete resection. In addition to case descriptions, this article includes a thorough literature review to raise clinical awareness about this well-known but rare spinal entity.