Parenchymal abnormalities associated with developmental venous anomalies

• Published in: Neuroradiology Vol. 49; no. 12; pp. 987 - 995
• Main Authors: SAN MILLAN RUIZ, Diego, DELAVELLE, Jacqueline, YILMAZ, Hasan, GAILLOUD, Philippe, PIOVAN, Enrico, BERTRAMELLO, Alberto, PIZZINI, Francesca, RUFENACHT, Daniel A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer 01-12-2007; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Atrophy; Biological and medical sciences; Brain; Calcinosis - diagnosis; Calcinosis - physiopathology; Cerebral Hemorrhage - diagnosis; Cerebral Hemorrhage - physiopathology; Cerebral Veins - abnormalities; Cerebral Veins - physiopathology; Cerebrospinal fluid. Spinal cord. Spinal roots. Spinal nerves; Child; Child, Preschool; Contrast Media; Female; Gadolinium DTPA; Hemangioma, Cavernous, Central Nervous System - diagnosis; Hemangioma, Cavernous, Central Nervous System - physiopathology; Humans; Infant; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Nervous system; Nervous system involvement in other diseases. Miscellaneous; Neurology; Neurosurgery; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Organometallic Compounds; Radiodiagnosis. Nmr imagery. Nmr spectrometry; Radiology; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Tomography; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Veins & arteries; Hypertension; Nervous system diseases; Radiodiagnosis; Venous hypertension; Central nervous system; Cardiovascular disease; Developmental venous anomaly; Regional parenchymal brain abnormalities; Encephalon
• ISSN: 0028-3940; 1432-1920
• DOI: 10.1007/s00234-007-0279-0

To report a retrospective series of 84 cerebral developmental venous anomalies (DVAs), focusing on associated parenchymal abnormalities within the drainage territory of the DVA.
DVAs were identified during routine diagnostic radiological work-up based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (60 cases), computed tomography (CT) (62 cases) or both (36 cases). Regional parenchymal modifications within the drainage territory of the DVA, such as cortical or subcortical atrophy, white matter density or signal alterations, dystrophic calcifications, presence of haemorrhage or a cavernous-like vascular malformation (CVM), were noted. A stenosis of the collecting vein of the DVA was also sought for.
Brain abnormalities within the drainage territory of a DVA were encountered in 65.4% of the cases. Locoregional brain atrophy occurred in 29.7% of the cases, followed by white matter lesions in 28.3% of MRI investigations and 19.3% of CT investigations, CVMs in 13.3% of MRI investigations and dystrophic calcification in 9.6% of CT investigations. An intracranial haemorrhage possibly related to a DVA occurred in 2.4% cases, and a stenosis on the collecting vein was documented in 13.1% of cases. Parenchymal abnormalities were identified for all DVA sizes.
Brain parenchymal abnormalities were associated with DVAs in close to two thirds of the cases evaluated. These abnormalities are thought to occur secondarily, likely during post-natal life, as a result of chronic venous hypertension. Outflow obstruction, progressive thickening of the walls of the DVA and their morphological organization into a venous convergence zone are thought to contribute to the development of venous hypertension in DVA.