Five Cases of Direct Surgery for Treating Brainstem Cavernous Malformations

Abstract

We report herein five cases of symptomatic brainstem cavernous malformations (CM). Specific surgical approaches were designed to directly access each lesion. Neuronavigation and intraoperative monitoring were used. Four lesions underwent gross total resection, and one was subtotally partially removed. None of the patients developed new neurological deficits and all cases showed an improvement based on the modified Rankin Scale and the Karnofsky Performance Status. Although brainstem CM have a relatively high rate of re-bleeding, thus adversely affecting the neurological status of the patient, recent reports have demonstrated favorable outcomes after their resection. Hence, surgical removal can be recommended for cases of symptomatic brainstem CM, particularly those with re-bleeding. An optimal surgical approach, providing direct access to the lesion, is critical for successfully resecting brainstem CM.