Vein of Galen Malformation

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Diagnosis

In some cases, a vein of Galen malformation (VOGM) may be detected by an ultrasound before a baby is born. However, in many instances the VOGM is not discovered until after birth when the newborn begin to experience heart failure.

To determine whether a VOGM is the cause of the heart failure or other symptoms your baby may be experiencing, the following tests may be used:

• Computed Tomography (CT) -- A CT scan is a method of body imaging in which a thin X-ray beam rotates around the patient. It can be used to detect the presence of blood in the brain. In addition, three-dimensional models of organs can be created by stacking the individual images.

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) -- An MRI scan can detect if there is blood in the brain. It is a non-invasive procedure that uses powerful magnets and radio waves to construct pictures of the body.

• Angiogram -- This is an important test in the diagnosis of VOGM and involves a special X-ray exam that enables a radiologist, a doctor who specializes in understanding and interpreting X-rays, to study a person's blood vessels and organs. Your child's doctor will insert a small tube, called a catheter, into the blood vessel and then inject a special dye that makes the vessels visible on the X-rays. This will allow the doctor to observe how the blood travels through the blood vessels of the brain. The procedure takes about one hour.

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