Intramedullary cavernous angioma of the spinal cord in a pediatric patient, with multiple cavernomas, familial occurrence and partial spontaneous regression: case report and review of the literature.

OBJECT: The authors present their experience with the 17th pediatric intramedullary cavernoma reported in English literature.

METHODS

The patient firstly underwent surgery for a left frontal cavernoma when he was 2 years old. Also the child's mother was operated for a C2-C3 intramedullary cavernoma. He grew up normally and the radiological follow-up was negative for other brainstem cavernous malformations. When he was 11 years old he complained a worsening tetraparesis. A cerebral and spinal magnetic resonance (MR) imaging revealed the presence of a C1 intramedullary cavernoma and a pontine cavernoma. He underwent surgery for the cervical lesion, which was completely removed. The postoperative course was regular with a total recovery from the neurological deficit. The boy underwent a radiological follow-up, monitoring the pontine lesion, which spontaneously regressed when he was 19 years old.

CONCLUSION

The rarity of the pediatric intramedullary cavernoma, the familial occurrence, and the spontaneous regression of the pontine cavernoma make this case very peculiar.