VEIN OF GALEN ANEURYSM - EVALUATION OF VASCULAR NETWORK BY COLOR-FLOWIMAGING, WITH MAGNETIC-RESONANCE AND ANGIOGRAPHIC CORRELATION

Vein of Galen Aneurysm may be asymptomatic or cause congestive heart f ailure very early in life. Heart failure in newborns may be due to sev eral congenital cardiac or extracardiac defects, which can be cured or palliated by surgery. Asymptomatic patients may suffer from cerebral hemorrhage later in life. Thus, in both circumstances, early, non inva sive detection of the anomaly is vital. In infants with hydrocephalus or seizures, a correct diagnosis is required as well. These three inst ances can be well exemplified by three patients seen in our Institutio n during the past two years: in all of them the diagnosis was possible by means of Two Dimensional Ultrasonography and/or Color Flow Imaging , followed by Computed Tomography and/or Magnetic Resonance. Common fe atures of the described cases are: recognition of the vascular network draining to the Great Vein of Galen, follow-up of the ventriculomegal y, detection of parenchymal abnormalities such as parenchymal loss rel ated to the vascular steal, detection of associated cardiac defects an d follow-up of the right ventricular pressure. Color Flow Imaging is a n immediate, non invasive, non radiating, bed side mean for early dete ction of Vein of Galen Aneurysm and for the assessement of surgical or inteventional results.