Post-irradiation "acquired cavernous angiomas" with drug resistant seizures

Abstract

Cavernomas are well-known congenital vascular lesions with presumably high epileptogenicity. We report two patients who developed cavernomas; both were in remission from childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia following standard chemo-radiotherapy. They developed drug-resistant focal epilepsy secondary to cavernomas and were subjected to surgical/medical management. This report highlights the ictogenesis of radiation-induced "acquired" cavernous angiomatosis in the brain. Appropriate treatment, including resection of these lesions in selected cases, improves the quality of life in such patients.