Cerebral cavernous angiomas in children

Abstract

Five cases of cerebral cavernous angiomas in children are presented. Three children had seizures as the sole manifestation of the lesion, and two had intracerebral bleeding. These malformations are encountered more commonly in adults in the third to fifth decade, and are found most frequently in the white matter of the cerebral hemispheres. Intracranial bleeding, seizures, headaches, and slowly developing focal signs are the usual presenting complaints. In childhood, seizures are the initial symptom of the malformation in many cases. The value of computerized tomography (CT) in the detection of such malformations is stressed, and CT findings that are characteristic of cavernous angiomas are described.