More Cautionary Data on Surgery for Brain Vascular Malformations

Cerebral cavernomas consist of thin-walled vascular channels that can provoke seizures or cause neurological deficits from hemorrhage. Recent data indicate a 25% risk for rebleeding during the 5 years after an initial hemorrhage into a cavernoma. To reduce seizure frequency or prevent rebleeding, many cavernomas are surgically excised, but little data support this practice. Investigators have therefore examined outcomes after surgical excision of cavernomas compared with conservative management. Using a Scotland-wide collaborative network of providers and central health records, researchers identified all patients with a first confirmed diagnosis of cavernoma between 1999 and 2003 and prospectively followed them via review of medical record…