Our vascular system is a key element for our survival, since it allows the oxygen and nutrients our cells need to reach them through the blood. Thus, our life can be in grave danger if this system is damaged, depending on the area and type of blood vessels affected.

Sometimes malformations or neoplasms also occur in the form of uncontrolled and disorganized growths of blood vessels which can also pose a danger especially if they occur in areas such as the brain. This is what happens with cerebral hemangioma .

What is a hemangioma?

A hemangioma is a type of neoplasm or uncontrolled growth of blood vessel cells . It could be considered a type of benign tumor of the vascular system, which like other tumors can grow even though they do not have malignancy.

Hemangioma itself can appear in different regions of the body, such as the skin, but also in areas such as the lung, stomach, or brain. They can appear as nodules or endothelial caverns filled with blood, which can burst and cause strokes very easily.

While in some cases they may not cause complications when they occur in organs such as the skin, when they appear in other organs such as the lung or brain they can have devastating consequences.

Cerebral Hemangioma

Cerebral hemangioma, also called cavernous angioma, is a type of hemangioma that arises in one of the areas of the brain. They are generally considered to be the result of congenital malformations suffered from childhood and during development. In the case of cerebral hemangioma, the consequences of bleeding can be really dangerous and even the death of the subject.

This is because, similar to an aneurysm, the presence of a bleed inside the brain can flood and choke the nearby nerve cells , causing their death and loss of function. And even if the bleeding is self-contained within the nodule itself, it can cause the nodule to grow and compress areas of the brain. It can also cause a stroke.

Depending on the location, the consequences can be one or the other. It is common for headache, feeling of tiredness, convulsions, sensory problems to appear. Nausea and vomiting are also common. If they occur in the brain stem, they can affect the cardiorespiratory, digestive or even the death of the patient.

In most cases they tend to appear supratentorially (i.e. above the cerebellum) in the frontal or temporal lobes, although they can also arise in the cerebellum and the protrusion. Movement, language, and reasoning skills may be impaired. In some cases, however, the cerebral hemangioma remains asymptomatic, despite the danger of bleeding.

Causes

A cerebral hemangioma is usually a congenital malformation in the form of a neoplasm . Its causes are currently little known. However, it has been found that there are variations such as familial cavernous angioma in which the problem has been associated with genetic mutations on chromosome 7. In other cases in which it appears sporadically, it may be due to de novo genetic mutations.

Hemangioma treatment

Treating the presence of a cerebral hemangioma can be complex, and you have to consider the possibility of complications.

In cases where the hemangioma remains stable and does not cause any problems or bleeding, treatment may not be carried out beyond regular monitoring of the case.

Otherwise, the main objective of the interventions in this type of malformations is to stop the blood from circulating through them , so that the risks of bleeding are avoided and they can be eliminated.

Because the surgery itself can be dangerous, it is usually reserved for cases where bleeding is occurring and the potential benefits outweigh the risks. Resection of the malformation must be complete, or there is a risk of increased bleeding.

Several techniques can be used for this purpose, , often involving embolisation of the haemangioma . This procedure is based on the application of substances that plug the blood vessels, so that the blood vessel stops carrying blood and becomes encrusted. Once the cyst is formed, the nodules are removed. They may also be treated with steroids if they are in a slow-growing phase, to reduce their size by reducing the level of inflammation in the angioma.

Bibliographic references:

  • Cortés, J.J.; Bernabé, J.M.; Riera, N. and Arenas, J.J. (2009). Intracranial cavernous angiomas. Radiology; 51: 190-193. Alicante, Spain.

    • .

  • Isla, A.; Alvarez, F.; Muñoz, J.; Nos, J. and García-Blázquez, M. (1995). Treatment of cavernous angiomas. Neurosurgery; 6 (2):138-145. Hospital La Paz. Madrid.
  • Fritschi, J.A.; Reulen, H.J.; Spetzler, R.F. & Zabramski, J.M. (1994). Cavernous malformations of the brain stem. A review of 139 cases. Acta Neurochir (Wien). 1994;130(1-4):35-46. Review.