Pictorial Review of Cavernous Sinus Hemangiomas (Venous Malformations)

Abstract

Cavernous venous malformations of the cavernous sinus are rare, benign tumors that account for 2%‐3% of all cavernous sinus lesions. An accurate pretreatment diagnosis is important due to the highly vascular nature of these lesions and the risk of major intraoperative hemorrhage. A shifting preference toward radiosurgery as a primary treatment, increasingly without a pretreatment biopsy, further underscores the need for an accurate imaging diagnosis. The aim of this pictorial review is to illustrate the imaging findings of cavernous sinus venous malformations on CT and MR imaging, the use of red blood cell scintigraphy as an adjunct imaging technique, relevant differential diagnoses, and management.Learning Objective: To describe the main imaging features of cavernous sinus venous malformations using CT, MR imaging, and red blood cell scintigraphy to differentiate them from other common lesions of the cavernous sinus