What Is Venous Angioma in the Brain and How Is It Treated?
Venous angiomas in the brain are small clusters of tangled veins that physicians typically do not treat, according to Riverside Health System. Disturbing venous angiomas can cause strokes or other complications, and they usually do not produce any signs or symptoms. Physicians usually observe the angiomas on a magnetic resonance imaging, computerized tomography, or other brain scan performed for an unrelated reason. Venous angiomas, also called venous malformations, are the brain vascular abnormalities that occur most often.
Up to 3 percent of the general population may have venous angiomas, notes Riverside Health System. Bleeding rarely occurs in venous angiomas, unlike other vascular abnormalities. Venous angiomas have enlarged but structurally normal veins, according to Neurosurgical Consultants, P.A. Surgically removing venous malformations can cause death, because they are typically part of a normal brain’s normal venous drainage system. Only in unusual circumstances do surgeons intervene when the abnormalities are present.
If a patient suffers bleeding in the brain and develops a clot related to a venous angioma, it is likely that the patient has a cavernous angioma adjacent to it, notes Neurosurgical Consultants. P.A. When a surgeon finds a cavernous angioma, the surgeon usually treats it by removing the clot and the cavernous angioma, but not disturbing the venous angioma.
