Giant Intracranial Extraaxial Parietal-Occipital Cavernous Hemangioma in an Adolescent

Abstract

Background: Extraaxial cavernous hemangiomas (EACHs) are an extremely rare form of cerebral vascular malformations, occurring infrequently in children and rarely exceeding 6.0 cm in diameter (labeled as "giant"). Our case study highlights the radiographic, diagnostic, and interventional uncertainties in the management of giant EACHs in a pediatric population.

Case description: Our patient, a 15-year-old male with 3-month history of hemiparetic symptoms, was shown to have a 9.0-cm extraaxial parietal-occipital mass upon imaging. Differential diagnosis included cavernoma versus meningioma because of similarities in imaging presentation. Pathologic confirmation of EACH was achieved after resection, and the patient experienced positive outcomes including total recovery from his hemiparesis.

Conclusions: EACHs are difficult to characterize radiographically and are often mistaken to be meningiomas before resection and pathologic confirmation. Therefore cavernous hemangiomas should be considered in the differential diagnosis of pediatric extraaxial masses. Additionally, preoperative hemorrhage control efforts should be pursued to reduce adverse outcomes stemming from resection of vascular malformations such as EACHs.

Keywords: Cavernoma; Extraaxial; Hemangioma.