Intracranial cavernomas. Surgical results of 47 cases.

We report the surgical results in a series of 47 patients with cerebral cav ernous malformation who had undergone surgery between 1973 and 1994, with a follow rip ranging from 12 months to 24 years (mean : 4 years). They were divided in there groups according to their initial clinical presentation: e pilepsy (31 cases), hemorrhage (II eases) and neurological deficit (5 cases ). Surgery consisted of cavernoma resection only (11 cases) or its extensio n to surrounding gliotic tissue (36 cases). Results are satisfactory: no su rgical mortality, low morbidity (4 cases), no recurrent hemorrhage, seizure s disappearance with anticonvulsant therapy stop (4 eases) or alleviation ( 20 cases). Only one patient died far from surgery (6 months) consequently t o his initial bleeding, while all the others lead a normal active life. The therapeutic management, compared to the literature, pleads in favour of intentionally surgical attitude and gliotic tissue removal as often as rea sonably possible.