Surgical Excision of Cirsoid Aneurysm of the Scalp: Case Series and Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND

Cirsoid aneurysms, also known as arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), of the scalp are relatively rare lesions. They may be found incidentally or with symptoms such as an enlarging pulsatile mass, headache, or bleeding.

METHODS

This retrospective case series comprised 10 cases of scalp AVMs that were treated with surgical excision from January 2010 to January 2020. Diagnosis was made with simple palpation and computed tomography angiography. Scalp AVMs were categorized according to the Schobinger classification.

RESULTS

There were 10 patients, 8 males and 2 females, with a mean age of 22.6 years (range, 10-40 years). All patients underwent ligation of the feeding artery with total excision of the AVM. There were no postoperative complications or recurrences during a mean follow-up of 21.6 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative embolization reduces vascularity and helps in easy identification as well as complete excision of cirsoid aneurysms during surgery. However, surgical excision alone of cirsoid aneurysms also results in excellent outcomes.