• F Lefranc, D Balériaux, and J Brotchi.
• Service de neurochirurgie, hôpital Erasme, université libre de Bruxelles, 808 route de Lennik, 1070 Brussels, Belgium.
• Neurochirurgie. 2007 Jun 1; 53 (2-3 Pt 2): 203-7.

AbstractIntramedullary cavernomas are rare, but with routinely use of MRI detection has improved, raising the problem of choosing the adequate management approach: conservative or surgical. Cavernomas are vascular malformations, but, as hemangioblastomas they appear as vascular tumors of the spinal cord. They can be durably asymptomatic. The symptoms are a progressive clinical deterioration or acute spinal dysfunction (tetra or paraplegia) in case of hemorrhage. Cavernomas have a typical aspect with MRI in contrast with intramedullary gliomas. The lesion is often superficial, covered by the pia-mater, visible immediately after opening the dura, the approach is direct; but in few cases the cavernoma is deep seated in the spinal cord and not visible, the approach is through the midline. It is recommended to perform a complete "en bloc" resection. A yearly MRI control is necessary to search possible "de novo" cases.

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