RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Clinical presentations of vascular malformations of the brain stem: comparison of angiographically positive and negative types.
JF Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry
JO J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 167
OP 175
DO 10.1136/jnnp.52.2.167
VO 52
IS 2
A1 M Abe
A1 R N Kjellberg
A1 R D Adams
YR 1989
UL http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/52/2/167.abstract
AB Clinical and radiographic features of 63 patients with a vascular malformation of the brain stem are described. On radiological grounds they were divided into two groups: one with angiographically visible lesions (AVAVMs), the other with lesions not seen angiographically, that is, occult (AOVMs). In the first group the initial clinical manifestation was due to haemorrhage in 20 of the 33 cases and consisted of a progressive neurological deficit in 12. In the second group 29 of the 30 initially presented with a brain stem haemorrhage. The latter was often characterised by development of symptoms over two days or more (16 cases), absence of headache (48 cases) and tendency to recurrence (20 cases). Clinical diagnosis was difficult in many cases especially in the AOVM group. Several of the patients were misdiagnosed as having multiple sclerosis. Clinical data in conjunction with magnetic resonance imaging were helpful in determining the nature of these lesions.