Patients with spinal cord cavernous malformations are at an increased riskfor multiple neuraxis cavernous malformations

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of multiple neuraxis cavernous malfo rmations in patients who initially presented with intramedullary spinal cor d (IMSC) cavernous malformations without knowledge of cavernous malformatio ns elsewhere in the neuraxis. METHODS: Hospital records and radiographic files were analyzed for 17 patie nts who subsequently underwent surgical resection of an IMSC cavernous malf ormation (histologically proven) and also underwent brain magnetic resonanc e imaging studies. These 17 patients represented a subset of 32 patients wh o underwent surgical resection of an IMSC cavernous malformation during the same period. RESULTS: Of 17 patients, 8 (47%) harbored multiple cavernous malformations. This group was composed of five women and three men (mean age, 35.9 yr). T here were four Caucasian and four Hispanic patients. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of multiple cavernous malformations in the neura xis seems to be increased in patients who harbor IMSC cavernous malformatio ns. This finding has important implications for the evaluation and manageme nt of these patients and, in some cases, their family members.