Cavernous Malformations

Cavernous malformations, also called cavernous angiomas and cavernomas, belong to a group of disorders known as vascular malformations that affect the blood vessels in the brain. A cavernous malformation is an abnormal cluster of dilated blood vessels. This mass is 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. However, those that develop in the brain or spinal cord, called cerebral cavernous malformations (CCM), are the most serious.

Approximately one in 200 people have a cavernous malformation, and 25 percent of cases are diagnosed in people before the age of 20. In some cases, these malformations may run in families and are inherited.

Our UCSF Pediatric Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease Center is staffed by the world's leading experts in stroke and cerebrovascular disease among children. A team of experts specializing in cavernous malformations that affect blood vessels in the brain works together with you and your family to develop the best possible treatment plan for your child.

For more information or to make an appointment, please call:
Child Neurology Clinic (415) 353-2340
Child Neurological Surgery (415) 353-7500

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Children's Hospital.
Last updated August 15, 2007