Surgical management of simultaneous supra- and infratentorial hemorrhages in a pediatric patient with multiple cavernomas

Abstract

Multiple intracranial cavernomas are rare and occur mostly in familial cases. Clinical presentation with simultaneous rupture of two or more lesions has only been reported in four cases to date. A 15-year-old boy presented with simultaneous right frontal and superior vermian hematomas with hydrocephalus. The patient underwent a ventriculoperitoneal shunt, and his magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed multiple cavernomas with bleed in the above-mentioned locations. The patient underwent a midline suboccipital craniotomy and excision of the cavernoma. The supratentorial lesions were left in situ in lieu of small size, no history of seizures, mass effect, or other neurological deficits. The patient recovered well from surgery with significant improvement in truncal ataxia. He remained asymptomatic for supratentorial lesions at follow-up. Cavernomas should be considered as differential diagnoses in cases of multiple intraparenchymal hemorrhages, especially in pediatric patients. The surgical management should be rationalized based on the lesion location, the eloquence of the surrounding parenchyma, mass effect, and the risks of re-rupture. Due to the rarity of multiple simultaneous hemorrhages, the management of multiple cavernomas remains controversial. The patient’s relatives can be screened with MRI to rule out the familial form of the disease. Strict clinical and radiological follow-up is a must in such patients.