CEREBRAL DEVELOPMENTAL VENOUS ANOMALIES ASSOCIATED WITH HEAD AND NECKVENOUS MALFORMATIONS

PURPOSE: To study cerebral developmental venous anomalies in patients with extensive venous malformations of the head and neck. METHODS: All patients had undergone carotid angiography 10 to 15 years previously. Four-vessel cerebral angiography was carried out in 40 patients with venous malformations. All patients had a physical examination, 16 had CT, and 22 were examined with MR imaging. One patient had MR angiograp hy. RESULTS: Eighteen developmental venous anomalies were noted in 8 ( 20%) of 40 patients. Four patients had multiple anomalies, and these w ere bilateral in 1 patient. Developmental venous anomalies seen in ass ociation with cervicofacial, cutaneous, and mucosal venous malformatio ns were remarkable in their absence of neurologic events and associate d cavernoma; significance of ectatic venous convergence, extension, an d preponderance of deep drainage routes; and frequency with which they multiple in occurrence. CONCLUSION: Developmental venous anomalies ha ve a remarkable prevalence of 20% in patients with extensive superfici al venous malformations. Therefore, it is important to search for a ce rebral developmental venous anomaly when confronted with a cervicofaci al venous malformation.