Cavernous malformations, also called cavernous angiomas and cavernomas, are abnormal clusters of dilated blood vessels. These masses are made up of little pockets, called caverns. They are filled with blood and lined with a special layer of cells, called the endothelium. These malformations can cause seizures, stroke symptoms, hemorrhages and headache.

Ranging in size from microscopic to inches in diameter, cavernous malformations can be located anywhere in the body including the liver, rectum, kidney, eyes, nerves, spinal cord and brain. Those that develop in the brain or spinal cord, called cerebral cavernous malformations (CCM), are the most serious.

Aboout one in 200 people have a cavernous malformation, affecting men and women almost equally and occurring in people of all races, sexes and ages. In some cases, these malformations may run in families and are inherited. The abnormality either occurs spontaneously, typically with one lesion or frequently, producing many lesions.

At UCSF Medical Center, our Neurovascular Disease and Stroke Center is recognized as one of the world's leaders in diagnosing and treating cavernous malformations. Our team includes neurologists, neurosurgeons and neuroradiologists who work together to design the best possible treatment for you. In many instances, cavernous malformations can be successfully removed with surgery.

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Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Children's Hospital.
Last updated November 1, 2009