Treatment of Brain Hemangioma

About the disease

Brain hemangioma is a malformation of blood vessels in the brain. According to DoveMed, this condition is more common in people over the age  of 40. The exact cause of brain hemangioma has not been identified yet. Some researches believe that genetic mutation can play the role in increasing the risk of developing the malformation. Also, cranial irradiation can also lead to development of malformation. The risk appears if cranial irradiation was performed in children who were treating other medical conditions. The most common manifestation of brain hemangioma is a headache. If not treated on time, brain hemangioma can lead to hemorrhage which, in its turn, can have serious consequences which in some cases may be fatal. Approximately 25% of brain hemangioma cases are asymptomatic, but even in such case there can be bleeding which is a medical emergency and requires immediate hospitalization. Previous instances in intracerebral bleeding can also increase the risk of developing brain hemangioma or indicate that a person already has this condition.

Overall, brain hemangioma is considered to be a very rare condition. According to DoveMed, it affects approximately 0.4% of all population. Having a relative who had been diagnosed with brain hemangioma increases the risk of developing this condition. People who have such risk need to be checked up regularly with the help of MRI or other imaging tests. Brain hemangioma  is slightly more prevalent in women.

Symptoms

• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Weakness
• Fatigue
• Problems with vision
• Problems with gait
• Seizures in some cases
• Hemorrhage in some cases

Diagnosis

• During a general examination the doctor will ask about the symptoms listed above. The doctors will ask the person if he/she had any head traumas or injuries which could be causing the headache.
• The doctor will ask if the person underwent radiotherapy in the past.
• Imaging tests are the best in identifying the exact location of the malformation and also its size and type. These tests are usually enough for the diagnosis. If there are still doubts, the doctor may order some additional tests to make correct diagnosis.

Treatment

• Surgical resection is used to resect the malformation and also prevent it from bleeding.
• Platinum coils embolization (coiling) is used to block the blood vessel malformation from healthy blood vessels and thus normalize normal work of the brain.
• Partial resection and coiling is used to both resect the malformation and also block it from healthy blood vessels.
• Radiotherapy can be used if malformation is located in an inaccessible location, where it is dangerous to operate on, such as the brainstem.

Authors: Dr. Nadezhda Ivanisova, Dr. Farrukh Ahmed