Skip to main content
Log in

Venous anomalies and abnormalities of the posterior fossa

Neuroradiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The authors report a series of 16 patients with venous anomalies or abnormalities of the posterior fossa studied by angiography, CT and/or MRI. We believe that so-called venous angiomas are extreme anatomic variants that drain normal territories, and we prefer to call them developmental venous anomalies (DVAs). Posterior fossa DVAs, like the supratentorial ones are classified according to their drainage into deep and superficial types. They are exclusively located in the cerebellum or tectum. In 4 cases DNA was an incidental finding; in 3 an associated cerebral venous malformation (CVM) was found and felt to be the cause of the symptoms; and only in one (with trigeminal pain) was a link between both suspected. Cavernous venous malformations (CVMs) were found in frequent association with DVA (27%). Four cases were single and 2 multiple. Five CVMs were located in the brain stem and 3 in the cerebellum. The clinical and radiological files were reviewed and a direct relationship between symptoms and localization was found in all patients with CVM. In 2 cases venous dysplasia was found: 1 Sturge-Weber and 1 first branchial arch syndrome. Both posterior fossa venous abnormalities were incidental findings.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ahmadi J, Miller CA, Segall HD, Park SH, Zee CS, Bekker RL (1985) CT patterns in histopathologically complex cavernous hemangiomas. AJNR 6: 389–393

    Google Scholar 

  2. Augustyn GT, Scott JA, Olson E, Gilmor RL, Ewards MK (1985) Cerebral venous angiomas: MR imaging. Radiology 156: 391–385

    Google Scholar 

  3. Beers GJ, Carter AP, Ordic JI, Shapiro M (1984) Sinus péricranii with dural venous lakes. AJNR 5: 629–631

    Google Scholar 

  4. Bitoh S, Hasegawa H, Fujiwara M, Sakurai M (1982) Angiographically occult vascular malformations causing intracranial hemorrhage. Surg Neurol 17: 35–42

    Google Scholar 

  5. Bouchacourt E, Carpena JP, Bories J, Koussa A, Chiras J (1986) Accident ischémique par thrombose d'un angiome veineux. A propos d'un cas. J Radiol 67: 631–635

    Google Scholar 

  6. Brown J, Woldenberg L, Velasco ME (1987) Recurent sinus pericranii in a 14 years old boy. Child Nerv Syst 3: 185–187

    Google Scholar 

  7. Burke K, Berenberg RA, Kim KS (1984) Choreoballismus: a nonhemorrhagic complication of venous angioma. Surg Neurol 21: 245–248

    Google Scholar 

  8. El Gohary ME, Tomita T, Gutierrez FA, Mc Lone DG (1987) Angiographically occult vascular malformations in childhood. Neurosurgery 20: 759–765

    Google Scholar 

  9. Gomori JM, Grossman RI, Golberg HI, Hackerly DB, Zimmermann RA, Bilianuk LT (1986) Occult cerebral vascular malformations: high-field MR imaging. Radiology 158: 707–713

    Google Scholar 

  10. Handa HJ, Suda K, Sato M (1984) Cerebral venous angioma associated with varix. Surg Neurol 21: 436–440

    Google Scholar 

  11. Hirata Y, Matsukado Y, Nagahiro S, Kuratsu J (1986) Intracerebral venous angioma with arterial blood supply: a mixed angioma. Surg Neurol 25: 227–232

    Google Scholar 

  12. Kousa A, Chiras J, Poirier B, Carpena JP, Bories J (1985) Aspect tomodensitométrique et angiographique des angiomes veineux du cerveau. Neurochirurgie 31: 161–168

    Google Scholar 

  13. Kutscher ML, Shinnar S, Levan AM, Llena J, Shapira K (1987) Venous malformation mimicking a posterior fossa tumor in a young child. Pediatr Neurosci 13: 27–31

    Google Scholar 

  14. Lasjaunias P, Berenstein A (1987) Endovascular treatment of cranio-facial lesions. Surgical neuroangiography, vol II. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York

    Google Scholar 

  15. Lasjaunias P, Burrows P, Planet C (1986) Developmental venous anomalies (DVA): the so-called venous angioma. Neurosurg Rev 9: 233–244

    Google Scholar 

  16. Lasjaunias P, Terbrugge K, Rodesch G, Willinsky R, Burrows P, Pruvost Ph, Piske R (1989) Vraies et fausses lésions veineuses cérébro-médullaires (Pseudoangiomes veineux et hémangiomes caverneux). Neurochirurgie 35: 132–139

    Google Scholar 

  17. Lemme-Plaghos L, Kucharczyk W, Brant-Zawadzki M, Uske A, Edwards M, Normal D, Newton TH (1986) MR imaging of angiographically occult vascular malformations. AJNR 7: 217–222

    Google Scholar 

  18. Meyer JD, Baghai P, Latchaw RE (1983) Cerebral varix and probable venous angioma: an unusual isolated anomaly. AJNR 4: 85–87

    Google Scholar 

  19. Nakayama T, Matsukado Y (1975) Sinus pericranii with aneurysmal malformation of internal cerebral vein. Surg Neurol 3: 133–137

    Google Scholar 

  20. New PFY, Ojemann RG, Davis KR, Rosen BR, Heros R, Kjellberg RN, Adams RD, Richardson EP (1986) MT and CT of occult vascular malformation of the brain. AJNR 7: 771–779

    Google Scholar 

  21. Numaguchi Y, Kitamura K, Fukmi M, Ikeda J, Hasuao K, Kishikawa TI, Odudera T, Vemura K, Matsura K (1982) Intracranial venous angioma. Surg Neurol 18: 193–202

    Google Scholar 

  22. Olson E, Gilmor RL, Richmond B (1984) Cerebral venous angioma. Radiology 151: 97–104

    Google Scholar 

  23. Pelz DM, Vinuela F, Fox AJ (1984) Unusual radiologic and clinical presentation of posterior fossa venous angioma. AJNR 5: 61–66

    Google Scholar 

  24. Rothfus WE, Albright AL, Casey KF, Latchaw RE, Roppolo HMN (1984) Cerebellar venous angioma: “benign entity”? AJNR 5: 61–66

    Google Scholar 

  25. Saito Y, Kobayashi N (1981) Cerebral venous angioma: clinical evaluation and possible etiology. Radiology 139: 87–94

    Google Scholar 

  26. Scott JA, Augustyn GT, Gilmor RL, Mealey JR, Olson EW (1985) Magnetic resonance imaging of a venous angioma. AJNR 6: 284–286

    Google Scholar 

  27. Senegor M, Dorhmann GJ, Wolmann RL (1983) Venous angiomas of the posterior fossa should be considered as anomalous venous drainage. Surg Neurol 19: 26–32

    Google Scholar 

  28. Sheray RG, Walker ML, Olds MV (1984) Sinus pericranii and venous angiomas in the Blue-Rubber nevus syndrome. AJNR 5: 832–834

    Google Scholar 

  29. Simard JM, Garcia-Bengochea F, Ballinger WE, Mickle JP, Quishing RG (1986) Cavernous angioma: a review of 126 collected and 12 new clinical cases. Neurosurgery 18: 162–172

    Google Scholar 

  30. Steiger HJ, Markwalder TM, Aculen HJ (1987) Clinicopathological relations of cerebral cavernous angioma. Observations in eleven cases. Neurosurgery 21: 879–883

    Google Scholar 

  31. Gayuero J, Sola RG, Martinez R (1983) Lateral sinus pericranii. J Neurosurg 58: 139–140

    Google Scholar 

  32. Valavanis A, Wellaner J, Yasargil MG (1983) The radiological diagnosis of cerebral venous angioma: cerebral angiography and computed tomography. Neuroradiology 24: 193–199

    Google Scholar 

  33. Yasagil GM (1988) AVM of the brain, clinical considerations, general and specific operative techniques, surgical results, nonoperated cases, cavernous and venous angiomas, neuroanesthesia. Microneurosurgery, vol IIIb. Thieme, Stuttgart, p 408

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Goulao, A., Alvarez, H., Monaco, R.G. et al. Venous anomalies and abnormalities of the posterior fossa. Neuroradiology 31, 476–482 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00340125

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00340125

Key words

Navigation